Louisiana Felon Sentenced on Firearms Charges After Police Find Multiple Firearms in His Vehicle

New Orleans, Louisiana - Nelson Raymond, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced to seventy months (5 years and ten months) in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Wendy B. Vitter on January 31, 2023, after pleading guilty to a one-count indictment. Raymond will be on supervised release for three (3) years after his release from prison, according to Judge B. Vitter. Raymond was also fined $100 for failing to pay a mandatory special assessment fee.

Judge Vitter's sentence, according to public records, exceeded the United States Sentencing Guidelines.

Raymond was charged in Count 1 with being a felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a) (2).

Raymond was sitting inside his vehicle on October 15, 2021, at the intersection of Olive Street and Hamilton Street in New Orleans. At some point, an unknown man approached Raymond's vehicle, opened the rear driver's side door, and placed a rifle inside. Police later discovered Raymond with a firearm in his waistband. Later, Raymond's vehicle was searched, and three firearms were discovered.

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 reduce 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 from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

In this case, U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the United States Attorney's Office's Violent Crime Unit.