Louisiana Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Charges, Faces up to 10 Years in Prison and a $250k Fine

New Orleans, Louisiana – On August 30, 2022, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that the defendant Richard Jones, age 22, resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on August 23, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to a federal weapons violation of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Jones is accused in Count 1 of the indictment of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on November 21, 2021, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a) (2). Jones faces a potential sentence of ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, supervised release for up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment charge of $100.00. Jones’ sentencing date is set for December 8, 2022.

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 work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department was lauded by U.S. Attorney Evans. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Violent Crime Unit.