WAYNE TOUPS BOOKED IN DRUG CASE

Musician, Wife Face Cocaine Sale Counts

LAKE CHARLES -- A drug task force arrested national Cajun music
recording artist Wayne Toups and his wife at their home Wednesday
night, a Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman said.

Toups, 42, was booked into the Calcasieu Correction Center with
distribution of cocaine. His wife, Belinda, 39, was booked into the
jail with principal to the distribution, sheriff's spokesman Scott
Raymond said.

A task force made up of several agencies, including sheriff's deputies
and FBI agents, has been investigating Toups and his wife for a while,
Raymond said.

He said that the investigators collected enough evidence to issue a
warrant on Toups for distribution of cocaine and on his wife for being
a principal to the distribution, Raymond said.

Raymond would not say how much cocaine Wayne Toups allegedly
distributed or the circumstances surrounding the investigation.

Agents from the FBI and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office went to the
Toups' College Heights home Wednesday night about 7 p.m. and made the
arrests, Raymond said.

The agents, armed with a warrant, also searched the home, Raymond
said.

Inside they found several hundred Valium pills, cocaine residue, a
small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Raymond said.

Both Toupses also were booked with possession of Valium, cocaine and
marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Raymond said.

Wayne Toups was released on $25,000 bond, and his wife was released on
$15,000 bond, Raymond said.

Raymond said he could not comment further on the investigation because
it is still under way.

Wayne Toups is a self-described "zydecajun" singer from Crowley. He
has lived in Lake Charles since 1995 and met his wife there.

Raymond said Toups is known in the area. Raymond himself enjoys his
music.

"It's a shame he's got this problem," Raymond said.

According to Toups' Web site -- www.waynetoups.com -- Toups is
scheduled to kick off a 10-month national tour starting today with a
show in Lafayette.

Toups' booking agent could not be reached at his Chicago office for
comment. ---