PLAQUEMINE — The third-highest-ranking law enforcement officer in Iberville Parish is leaving the sheriff's office and tells WBRZ's Investigative Unit he intends to run for sheriff next year.

Chief Deputy Ronnie Hebert, a 31-year veteran, abruptly retired Monday. Sheriff Brett Stassi had appointed Hebert as chief criminal deputy in 2022.

Stassi has not said whether he will run for another term next year, but told WBRZ on Monday that as of now he plans to run.

Stassi did not have an opponent in 2023. In 2019, he defeated Darren "D-Man" Bourgeois Sr. by a 3-1 margin. He is currently in his fourth four-year term.