MAN CHARGED IN DRUG OVERDOSE

Law Pins Blame On Alleged Seller

A 19-year-old Metairie man faces decades in prison if he is convicted of
selling a fatal dose of the club drug GHB to an 18-year-old acquaintance,
federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Brandon LaCroix is accused of providing the drugs that caused the death of
Brennan "Scooter" Bourgeois, a senior at Ridgewood Preparatory School.
Bourgeois, also of Metairie, collapsed outside Jimmy's Club, an Uptown bar,
on Dec. 28. He was in a coma for 10 days before dying.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jim Letten called the prosecution, which is using a
federal statute that aims to hold suspected drug dealers responsible for a
client's death, a first for his office.

"The fact that this is not often charged does not mean we don't mean to use
it in the future," Letten said. "I can tell you with certainty that we
intend to scrutinize overdoses that result in death."

LaCroix was indicted Friday and arrested Monday at his mother's home and
booked with distribution of GHB that caused Bourgeois' death and possession
with intent to distribute GHB. He was also booked on an unrelated charge of
distributing heroin.

He is being held without bail after pleading not guilty before a federal
magistrate judge Tuesday. A trial date was set for early May. He would
serve at least 20 years if convicted of selling Bourgeois the drugs that
killed him, authorities said. On charges of possession with intent to
distribute GHB and distribution of heroin, the maximum penalty is 20 years.

LaCroix's attorney, Vinny Mosca, called the case a tragedy for those on
both sides.

"I know that the family of the individual who died is suffering through
this," Mosca said. "I know that the family of the person who was charged is
suffering also."

The case brings to light the metro area's growing problem with GHB, or
gamma hydroxybutyrate. Once primarily seen at the all-night parties called
raves, the drug has jumped into mainstream use. There's been a notable
increase in GHB use and overdoses in the New Orleans area, said William
Renton, assistant special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Agency's local office.

"This is a very dangerous drug," Renton said. "We're extremely concerned
that the general public and the user population of these club drugs are not
aware of the chances they're taking."

GHB is a clear, odorless liquid that tastes similar to baking soda, Renton
said. It depresses the central nervous system and is considered highly
addictive. Many dealers market it as a substance that lets users have the
fun of an alcoholic buzz without the next-day hangover. Some dealers mix it
with a sports drink and then sell it by the capful at $10 a shot, Renton said.

But GHB can be lethal when mixed with alcohol. It is considered a
"date-rape drug," one that can cause users to lose consciousness and remain
unable to recall hours of time after ingesting it.

The charges against LaCroix follow the U.S. attorney's long tradition of
pursuing homicides attributed to drug-related disputes, Letten said.
Instead of going after the trigger man behind a shooting, prosecutors in
this case want to pin the death on the dealer they say set the overdose in
motion.

LaCroix was on probation at the time of Bourgeois' death, having pleaded
guilty to possession of anabolic steroids and marijuana in 1999. He had
served a year of home detention and completed a drug rehabilitation program
as part of his sentence for the cases out of Jefferson Parish.

Reached at Jimmy's, the bar's owner said a man, probably Bourgeois, was
escorted out of the club on Dec. 28 because management thought he was
overly intoxicated. Managers did not know Bourgeois had ingested GHB, he said.

"We're not in the business of selling drugs," said the owner, who asked
that his name not be used.