JPSO sergeant resigns after off-duty drunk driving arrest in Kenner

Ronald Bodenheimer, a 19-year veteran of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, resigned shortly after Kenner police arrested him for driving under the influence. Capt. Jason Rivarde, a spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office, confirmed the resignation occurred soon after the arrest.

Authorities took Bodenheimer into custody at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Monday. He was located in the parking lot of a convenience store in the 4000 block of Williams Boulevard in Kenner. Although he was off-duty and not wearing a uniform, he was operating a marked patrol vehicle belonging to the Sheriff's Office, according to Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley.

Conley said witnesses inside the store noticed Bodenheimer acting in a suspicious and intoxicated manner. One of the patrons called 911. When officers arrived, they found Bodenheimer pulling out of the parking lot. He was not combative or resistant during the stop, Conley noted.

Bodenheimer refused to perform field sobriety tests. He later submitted to a breathalyzer test, which showed a blood alcohol content above the legal limit of 0.08%. Conley said the exact BAC figure was not immediately available. Bodenheimer was booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on charges of operating a vehicle while impaired.

His bail was set at $1,000. However, he was released without paying the bond due to crowding at the Gretna jail. Jail records confirmed his booking on Monday.

This incident marks the third reported arrest of a JPSO deputy on drunk driving charges this year. On August 31, Kyle Nugent was booked with DWI, battery of a dating partner, and hit-and-run driving after hitting a parked vehicle in Harvey. Aaron Verrette was arrested in September after being found asleep behind the wheel of a car on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie.

Bodenheimer is the son and namesake of former 24th Judicial District Judge Ronald Bodenheimer. The former judge pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2003 following a nine-year FBI investigation into corruption at the Jefferson Parish courthouse known as Operation Wrinkled Robe.