La. Fire Chief, Firefighter Arrested in Drug Investigation

The fire chief of the Grand Isle Volunteer Fire Department and a firefighter were among 20 who were arrestedin connection with a drug investigation.

A tip that drugs were being sold at the fire station earlier this year was the start of the investigation.

"The information turned out to be correct that there was drug use," Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand told the Times Picayune. 

Officials said they found a "very small amount of marijuana" at the home of Fire Chief Aubrey "T-Black" Chaisson. He was booked on a charge of possession of marijuana and an outstanding attachment for contempt of court.

Firefighter Patrick Santiny was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a control dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to Normand, it is believed that the two did not use drugs while on-duty.

The others who were arrested were charged with drug and weapons charge from the six-month investigation.

"The complexities of executing an undercover operation on an island -- one way on, one way off; very few residents; and everybody knows one another -- I think goes without saying," Normand said. 

Normand told the Times Picayune that the "investigation continues. We have a lot more information that we're running out," Normand said. 

In 2009, Chaisson was in trouble for receiving overtime pay that he wasn't supposed to.