Two men accused of tying up employees of an Uptown pharmacy last month, stealing prescription painkillers, and then shooting at New Orleans Police officers who arrived on the scene now face federal charges, and it likely means an end to their "low risk" offender status.
A list of criteria used to assess the risk of letting offenders out pre-trial had rated the two suspects, Richard Sansbury and Alan Parson, as the lowest risk to public safety. Those factors include age, whether the charge is a violent crime, prior convictions, and any failures to appear for past court dates. But that was when they were facing state charges.
"They're no longer going to be in the state system, now they're going to be in the federal system, so federal rules apply," said U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser. "According to the federal rules of pre-trial release or pre-trial detention, either you are a flight risk or you are a danger to the community. If you are neither of those, then you can post bail."
Strasser says a federal magistrate will make that determination when the two men are arraigned. Both defendants are from Indiana, with no local ties.
Despite the "low risk" assigned to the defendants, both suspects have remained in Orleans Parish Prison on bonds in excess of one million dollars each.