24-Year-Old Tennessee Man Indicted by Grand Jury in Federal Court in Louisiana for Alleged Possession of a Machinegun

New Orleans, Louisiana –  A 24-year-old Tennessee man has been indicted by a grand jury in a federal court in Louisiana for his alleged possession of a machinegun.

On March 28, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana announced that Keaton Manghane, age 24, a resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was charged on March 10, 2023, in a sealed one-count indictment for possession of a machinegun. The indictment was unsealed on March 28, 2023.

Manghane faces a maximum term of ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100.00 special assessment charge if convicted.

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve together to minimize violent crime and gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy to strengthen PSN on May 26, 2021, based on the following core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department investigated the case. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit.