ST TAMMANY PARISH — Randy Smith formally retired as sheriff of St. Tammany Parish on July 30, 2025, after pleading guilty to felony second-degree battery and misdemeanor disturbing the peace by public intoxication. As part of his plea deal, Smith agreed to serve between 15 and 18 months of probation.

St. Tammany District Attorney Collin Sims stated that Smith vacated his position as a term of his plea deal with prosecutors. Smith assaulted podcaster Bobby Couvillion at Keith Young's Steakhouse in Madisonville on May 29. State investigators alleged that Smith approached Couvillion from behind, placed him in a chokehold, and slammed him to the ground. Investigators further alleged that Smith punched and kicked Couvillion in the face and body while Couvillion was prone.

Couvillion reported that Smith verbally threatened him during the incident, saying, "I'm going to kill you, you motherfucker. You're a dead motherfucker." Medical records indicated that Couvillion sustained a concussion and two displaced front teeth. Agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation took over the case after the St. Tammany Sheriff's Office recused itself. Smith was arrested on June 4 on one count of second-degree battery and two counts of disturbing the peace. Six local judges recused themselves from presiding over Smith's case; St. Tammany state judge Reginald Badeaux presided over the plea hearing.

Investigators alleged that Gregory Saurage drove Smith away from the scene in an office vehicle at Smith's request. Smith purchased 18 alcoholic beverages on his tab at the restaurant on the day of the assault. Chief Deputy Bret Ibert will serve as acting sheriff of St. Tammany Parish. Ibert stated his focus was on providing "stability, continuity, and leadership" until a successor is elected. District Attorney Sims said that his office aimed to avoid special treatment, adding, "We didn't want to have special treatment of the sheriff. We treat him like we treat every other citizen that commits an act like that." Couvillion issued a statement saying he was "grateful ... that justice was not swept under the rug simply because of who was involved."

Why It Matters

Smith's retirement concludes a career that began with his swearing-in as sheriff of St. Tammany Parish on July 1, 2016. Prior to his tenure as sheriff, Smith served as chief of the Slidell Police Department for six years, starting in 2010. He spent a total of 33 years at the St. Tammany Sheriff's Office. The St. Tammany Sheriff's Office manages an existing tax that generates over $13 million annually, and its fiscal books were reportedly $60 million in the green as of the end of June 2025. St. Tammany Parish has approximately 280,000 residents.