29-Year-Old Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms Crimes, Faces Up to 40 Years and a $5 Million Fine

New Orleans, Louisiana – A 29-year-old Louisiana man pleaded guilty in a federal court on December 20 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of firearms as a convicted felon. Weber faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison for the possession with intent to distribute charge, as well as a fine of up to $5 million, at least four years of supervised release, and other penalties.

On Friday, December 23, 2022, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Nicholas Weber, age 29, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on December 20, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), possessing firearms in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and possession of firearms by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

According to court filings, the FBI field office in New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department executed a federal search warrant on Weber on March 29, 2022, and recovered 143.5 grams of fentanyl, two fully loaded firearms, and $16,200 in cash.

Weber faces a minimum obligatory penalty of five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, a maximum of forty years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, and at least four years of supervised release following any period of imprisonment. For possessing weapons in furtherance of narcotics trafficking, Weber risks a required minimum of 5 years in prison, up to life in prison, to run consecutively with any other term, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 5 years of supervised release. Weber faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a maximum of three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of guns. Weber must pay a statutory $100 special assessment fee for each of the three counts.

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

As part of the NOPD's Violent Crime Abatement Investigation Team ("VCAIT"), the New Orleans Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Louisiana State Police investigated this case. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Benjamin Myers.