“Habitual offender” with penchant for speeding sentenced to life in prison

BOGALUSA, La. (BRPROUD) — It doesn’t look like DeMarquiez Harris, 26, will ever get out of jail after a judge recently sentenced the Bogalusa man to life in prison.

A jury found Harris guilty in March of this year on charges of Aggravated Obstruction of Highway and Aggravated Flight from an Officer.

In this case, there is no chance for probation or parole.

After this trial was over, “Harris was booked on a new charge of having contraband in the parish jail,” according to the 22nd JDC District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s Office.

Going into this latest case against Harris, the Bogalusa man was considered a “habitual offender.”

Harris has been convicted on other occasions in Washington Parish.

Those convictions include “aggravated battery, battery of a correctional officer, battery of a police officer, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana,” according to the 22nd JDC District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s Office.

Over the last five years, Harris has been caught twice going over 115 mph.

On April 9, 2017, Harris was clocked going 117 mph on the Causeway Bridge.

In this instance, Harris and three others were caught after throwing a stolen gun out of a vehicle.

Three years later, Harris was again observed breaking the speed limit.

This time, it came during a high-speed chase on I-20.

The chase included the Louisiana State Police and Harris was observed going 125 miles per hour.

The 22nd JDC District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s Office also referenced these instances when considering Harris a “habitual offender:”

• Harris was recently sentenced to 262 months in federal prison on conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana
• Harris also has outstanding warrants for forcible rape out of Washington Parish and Engaging in Organized Crime (deadly conduct) out of Texas

Assistant District Attorneys Elizabeth Authement and Blake Peters. D.A. Montgomery prosecuted this case.