Alleged drug dealer charged with soliciting agent for murders

Local drug agents conducting an undercover operation moved up the arrest of a suspected drug dealer after he solicited an undercover agent to murder three people, Capt. Aubrey St. Angelo alleged.

The Law Enforcement Against Drugs (LEAD) Task Force last week arrested Michael Creel Jr., 21, of 59252 Belleview Road, Plaquemine, on charges of distribution of a Schedule II narcotic, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance and solicitation for murder in Iberville Parish, said St. Angelo, who heads the task force.

LEAD agents made the arrest in West Baton Rouge Parish, where Creel was charged with an additional two counts of solicitation for murder, failure to register a shotgun with a barrel of less than 18 inches, possession of a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of marijuana, the captain said.

St. Angelo said LEAD, which began its latest undercover operation in August, received information that Creel was distributing prescription narcotics in the Plaquemine area. An agent established contact with the suspect, and purchased Schedule II narcotics from him on three different occasions, the captain alleged.

“Each time he was armed with an automatic handgun,” St. Angelo said. “We learned Creel was interested in selling a sawed-off shotgun, an illegal weapon.”

The task force decided to call off the undercover operation and make an immediate arrest when Creel allegedly offered the agent drugs in exchange for murdering three people, the captain alleged.

“The reason the operation ended was to protect human safety,” St. Angelo said.

The local drug agents, assisted by West Baton Rouge authorities, arrested Creel in the La. 415 area of Port Allen, he said. St. Angelo said they booked him first in West Baton Rouge, then took him to the Iberville Parish Jail for booking.

Creel has been sent back to West Baton Rouge Parish to face the charges there.