Welsh man gets maximum 20-year sentence after guilty plea to drug charges

A Welsh man will spend the next two decades behind bars after authorities say he admitted to drug-related charges shortly before his jury trial was to begin in Jeff Davis Parish.

Bobby Dale Prudhomme, 56, was sentenced Tuesday to serve the maximum 20 years at hard labor with the Louisiana Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine over 28 grams and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine over 28 grams.

Prudhomme was sentenced to 20 years on each count, but the sentences will run concurrently, according to District Attorney Lauren Heinen.

“The public is beginning to see the fruits of our labors,” Heinen said in a press release. “This office has remained committed to prosecuting major cases and it is evident within the courthouse and in our community. My team and I are committed to protecting our parish and holding drug dealers accountable. This conviction is  a major win for our parish.”

The case was investigated by Detectives Kyle Klein and Jason Chretien and Investigative Assistant Roxi Guidry of the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office.

First Assistant District Attorney Alexander Guinn prosecuted the case with Assistant District Attorney Burleigh Doga as second chair and Assistant Torrie Thibodeaux assisting with jury selection. Investigator Shelly Roberts and Paralegal Natalie Abshire assisted in preparing the case for trial.

“It was a full team effort inside the D.A.’s Office,” Guinn said in a press release. “It also would not be possible without the help of the citizens of Jefferson Davis Parish who show up for jury duty, as they play a vital role in ensuring a fair and impartial justice system.”