Louisiana Man Faces Possibility of Life in Prison After Pleading Guilty to 4 Carjackings and Gun Charges

Louisiana –  May 24, 2022, Wayne Oneal, age 20, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to an eight-count bill of information for four carjackings and four counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime, according to U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

Oneal faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee for each count of carjacking.

Oneal faces a minimum term of imprisonment of seven years, a maximum term of imprisonment of life, to be served consecutively, and all other counts, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee for each count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, which is at the heart of the Department of Justice’s efforts to reduce violent crime. PSN is an evidence-based program that has been shown to reduce violent crime. PSN brings together a diverse range of stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime issues in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and collaborates with community-based prevention and reentry programs to achieve long-term crime reductions.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, in collaboration with the New Orleans Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel is prosecuting the case.