38-Year-Old Louisiana Felon Faces Up to Ten Years in Prison and a $250,000 Fine After Officer Finds Firearm After Vehicle Crash

New Orleans, Louisiana - A 38-year-old Louisiana felon now faces up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine after an officer found a firearm after a vehicle crash

United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Oronde Gabriel, age 38, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on March 30, 2023, to a single count indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).

Gabriel was involved in a vehicle accident on September 27, 2021, according to court filings. When a police officer arrived at the scene, he discovered Gabriel in possession of a Taurus Model G2C, a nine-millimeter handgun. Gabriel had previously been convicted in United States District Court of conspiracy to make false and fictitious statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm (Eastern District of Louisiana).

Gabriel is facing up to ten years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

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 Orleans Levee District Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Strauss of the Violent Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.