By Jim Utter
Director of Journalism
Federal and local authorities earlier this week announced the seizure of a New Orleans car wash they claim has been a source of drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office announced the seizure of the 5 Star Auto Spa on Monday following what it described as a months-long investigation in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations, the New Orleans Police Department Special Operations Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The seizure was prompted in part by repeated complaints from residents and nearby businesses. The investigation uncovered narcotics distribution, stolen weapons, and body armor at the site – evidence that led to both arrests and the legal grounds for the seizure of the property.
“Let me be clear, this was not just a car wash,” District Attorney Jason Williams said at a news conference. “It was a front for illicit narcotics distribution and other criminal activities that have for far too long harmed the families and businesses in this neighborhood.
“Don’t get it twisted – we’re pro-business. But when a business becomes a front for drug trafficking, gun crime, and violence in our neighborhoods, we’re going to act.”
Williams said the seizure of 5 Star Auto Spa is part of a larger effort “to reclaim” neighborhoods for the residents and businesses who make them home.
“This isn’t a one-off,” Williams said, “This is how we take back our city – block by block, business by business, before tragedy strikes.”
According to the district attorney’s office, its New Orleans Data Informed Community Engagement Program played a large role in the case.
Daniel Shanks, the district attorney’s office director of strategic initiatives, said surveillance and undercover buys between October and April led to nearly a dozen arrests on state and federal charges.
The engagement unit utilizes software to diagnose high-crime areas, then works with residents, governmental entities and law enforcement to find solutions.
It has led or collaborated on several investigations over the last two years, which has resulted in the confiscation or closure of businesses engaging in criminal activity.
