St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith Pleads Guilty And Resigns

Bret Ibert Takes Over As Interim Sheriff Pending A Special Election

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith resigned Wednesday after pleading guilty in connection with a May 29 attack at Keith Young’s Steakhouse in Madisonville, according to the District Attorney’s Office and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.

District Attorney Collin Sims said Smith pleaded guilty to one felony count of second-degree battery and one misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace by public intoxication. The DA’s office said the case stemmed from an incident at the restaurant that left Robert “Bobby” Couvillion with a concussion and dental injuries.

Under the plea agreement, Smith received a two-year hard labor sentence that was suspended. He was placed on two years of supervised probation and ordered into a Specialty Court program. The DA’s office said that if Smith successfully completes the program and all probation conditions, the court could later reduce the felony conviction to misdemeanor simple battery.

The Sheriff’s Office announced Smith’s retirement was effective June 24, 2026. In a separate statement, the agency said Bret Ibert was appointed interim sheriff and will lead the office until a special election is held to fill the remainder of the term.

The Sheriff’s Office previously said Smith was arrested June 4 after the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office issued warrants charging him with second-degree battery and disturbing the peace counts tied to the restaurant incident. Reporting from local television outlets, citing court records and the plea agreement, said Smith agreed to resign no later than 1 p.m. on the day the guilty pleas were entered.

Local reporting on the plea agreement said surveillance video and witness statements were central to the case. Those reports said Smith approached Couvillion from behind, pulled him from a bar stool and struck him until others intervened. A second man, Gregory Saurage, was also arrested in the broader case and accused of helping set up the confrontation.

Smith’s resignation ends a long law enforcement career that included service as St. Tammany sheriff and earlier time as Slidell’s police chief. His departure leaves one of the parish’s most visible public offices in transition, with the sheriff’s office now operating under interim leadership until voters choose a replacement.

Why This Matters In Slidell

For Slidell residents, the leadership change is significant because the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office plays a central role in law enforcement, jail operations, tax collection and parishwide public safety coordination. Any transition at the top of the agency can affect policy direction, budgeting, morale and public trust across the parish, including in Slidell, where Smith previously served as police chief.

The case also comes at a time when residents are paying close attention to law enforcement accountability and the stability of public safety agencies on the Northshore. With more than a year left in the sheriff’s term, state law points to a special election rather than a permanent appointment, meaning voters will soon have a direct say in who leads the office next.