Louisiana Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges, Faces Life in Prison and More than $1.5 Million in Fines if Convicted

New Orleans, Louisiana – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Eddie Harris, age 38, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on September 1, 2022, in a three-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for violations of the Federal Gun Control and Controlled Substances Acts.

Harris is charged in Count 1 with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). In Count 2, Harris is charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). In Count 3, Harris is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

Harris faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release if convicted of Count 1. If Harris is convicted of Count 2, he faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years to life in prison, to run consecutively with all other sentences, a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release. If Harris is convicted of Count 3, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Harris must pay a $100 special assessment fee for each conviction.

U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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 improve PSN on May 26, 2021, based on the following basic principles: establishing trust and

Legitimacy in our communities, community-based groups that help avoid violence in the first place, focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and monitoring the results

The New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman is prosecuting the case.