Louisiana Felon Sentenced to Prison on Firearms Charges After 33 Firearms Were Discovered in His Storage Unit

Louisiana – A Louisiana man has been sentenced to 82 months (6 years, 10 months) for possession of firearms as a convicted felon after 33 firearms were discovered in his storage unit.

On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Michael Malone, age 38, a resident of Covington, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 10, 2023, in the United States District Court in connection with his plea of guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).

Malone was sentenced to 82 months in the Bureau of Prisons by United States District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry. Malone will be placed on supervised release for three years after completing his sentence. The court issued a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 rather than a fine.

St. Tammany Parish deputies were on patrol on Highway 434 in Lacombe on the night of February 3, 2022, at around 11:30 p.m., when they noticed Malone's silver Toyota Highlander parked in front of the 434 Mini Storage. Deputies noticed a person inside the vehicle. Deputies approached Malone's vehicle, concerned that a burglary was taking place.

Deputies approached the vehicle and spoke with Malone's girlfriend, who informed them that Malone was inside his storage unit. The deputies noticed a variety of random goods outside of the unit, but the storage unit door was closed. The deputies were unable to see Malone. As the officers approached the unit, they heard the sound of a firearm being racked. When the cops opened the door to the storage container, they discovered Malone in possession of a firearm. Deputies discovered 33 guns inside the storage unit. Malone was apprehended by deputies. Malone was a convicted felon with two convictions for possession of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) (ecstasy), simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, and two charges of simple burglary at the time of his arrest.

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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the United States Attorney's Office's Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit.