Cops: Northshore meth dealer busted with drugs and guns after poor driving

A man authorities say has been selling drugs in St. Tammany Parish is facing a string of charges.

"Detectives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Narcotics Division arrested a Slidell-area man this week following an investigation into illegal drug sales," Lieutenant Suzanne Carboni said in a news release.

It all started when cops noticed 48-year-old Slidell resident Kristopher Hardin allegedly was doing a poor job of staying in his lane.

"Detectives conducted a traffic stop of Hardin and his vehicle near mile marker 2 of Interstate 59 South in Pearl River," Carboni explained. "While searching his vehicle, detectives located and seized approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine, illegally possessed Suboxone and drug paraphernalia. A search warrant was executed a short time later at Hardin’s residence in the 200 block of Goldenwood Drive, Slidell.  There detectives located and seized four illegally possessed firearms, Adderall, Gabapentin and more Suboxone and drug paraphernalia."

Hardin was also booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on the following charges:

Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Schedule II CDS (Methamphetamine)
Possession of a Schedule II CDS (Amphetamine)
Possession of a Schedule III CDS (Suboxone)
Possession of a Firearm in the Presence of a CDS
Possession of a Legend Drug without a valid Prescription
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Improper Display of Plate
Driving Left of Center

“If you think you are going to sell dangerous and illegal drugs in our parish and not be arrested, you are mistaken,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “Law Enforcement will not tolerate it and our residents will not tolerate it, and we continue to work together to identify those individuals who are selling drugs in our neighborhoods.”