Convicted Felon in Louisiana Sentenced to Prison Again After Police Witness Him in Possession of a Firearm

New Orleans, Louisiana – A convicted felon in Louisiana has been sentenced to prison again after police witnessed him in possession of a firearm.

On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Shawn Rabathaly, age 23, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on February 28, 2023, to a violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).

Rabathaly was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm in the single-count indictment. According to court filings, Rabathaly was being watched by investigators who witnessed him load an Anderson Model AM-15, 5.56 caliber assault rifle into a vehicle he was driving. Rabathaly is forbidden from owning a firearm because of his criminal record. He was previously convicted in Orleans Parish of a felony crime for illegal possession of a controlled substance.

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 case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dustin Strauss of the Violent Crimes Section is prosecuting the case.