DEA: Bunkie man not facing federal charges

A Bunkie man taken into custody on Tuesday is not facing federal drug charges, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Karl D. Recard, 40, was taken into custody on Tuesday at his Bunkie home when the DEA and the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Office both served search warrants there. According to the sheriff's office, investigators found 1.17 pounds of suspected powdered cocaine and 1.4 ounces of crack cocaine inside the home.

It was the largest seizure of cocaine in Avoyelles Parish in at least 20 years, according to a sheriff's office release.

The release also stated that Recard was arrested and was "immediately turned over to Federal Drug Enforcement agents, who transported him to an undisclosed location where he will be arraigned on various federal narcotics-related charges."

But, when The Town Talk contacted the DEA's New Orleans office to find out what federal charges Recard faced, a spokesperson said the 40-year-old man was not being held on federal charges.

"At this time, he's not facing any federal charges or being held on any federal charges," said the spokesperson.

The Town Talk was told that there is an ongoing joint investigation between the DEA and the sheriff's office, but the spokesperson said she wasn't at liberty to say whether Recard is a suspect in that investigation.

The sheriff's office also had a separate search warrant for the home because parish charges are pending against Recard. The search also uncovered $7,000 in cash "believed to be the proceeds of illicit drug transactions," reads the sheriff office's release.

Avoyelles Sheriff Doug Anderson said in the release that the Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Police Department's K-9 Detection Team participated in the operation, calling it "a valuable resource in uncovering the large amount of cocaine and cash seized."

In noting the size of the seizure, Anderson said that the street value of the cocaine was about $80,000.

When Recard does return to face parish charges, he'll be charged with two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance II with intent to distribute. His bond will be set at $100,000, according to the release.

The release did not state when Recard might be returning to Avoyelles Parish. As of Friday, he was not an inmate at the Avoyelles Parish Detention Center.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect comments from a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spokesperson.