According to the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, on August 6th, 2024, the Special Investigation Unit (IPSO SIU) assisted several state and federal agencies in executing a search warrant at a residence located on the 600 block of Guiberteau Street in Jeanerette, Louisiana.

The search warrant was part of an ongoing investigation into the import and distribution of AR-15 “sears” and Glock “switches”; items which, when installed into a traditional semiautomatic firearm, illegally convert it into weapon capable of firing multiple rounds with a single press of the trigger. As a result of the search warrant, an AR-15 pistol with an installed sear was recovered, along with several other firearms and various other weapon modification components.

Jayden Gerald Hopes was placed under arrest and charged with Possession or Dealing in Unregistered or Illegally Transferred Weapons as defined in LARS 40:1785 and Possession of a Machine Gun as defined in LARS 40:1752. Hope is currently being held in the Iberia Parish Jail on a $750,000 bond.

This investigation is ongoing and further charges and arrests are expected.