Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges, Faces Up to Life in Prison

New Orleans, Louisiana – On Thursday, February 2, 2023, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Carlos Walker, age 33, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, pled guilty on January 31, 2023, to one count of felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A).

According to court documents, on September 24, 2021, officers with the Bogalusa Police Department observed a black Nissan Altima traveling east on Derbigny Street in Bogalusa, Louisiana, with a non-functioning headlight. The officers pulled the vehicle over for a traffic stop. As the officers approached the vehicle, they noticed Walker kicking his legs as if he were shoving something under the seat. One of the officers recognized Walker and remembered that a warrant for his arrest had been issued.

Officers arrested Walker after confirming the warrant. Officers discovered approximately $4,000.00 in Walker’s pocket during a search incident to arrest. Officers then discovered a nine-millimeter Taurus Model G2C handgun under the passenger seat. In the front passenger door pocket, officers discovered a small clear wrap containing seventeen (17) grams of methamphetamine.

Walker’s criminal record revealed that he had a history of felony drug convictions.

Walker faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and three (3) years of supervised release for the felon in possession charge. Walker faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and at least three (3) years of supervised release for the possession with intent to distribute charge. Walker faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum term of life imprisonment to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to five (5) years for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Walker must pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count of conviction at sentencing.

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

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Bogalusa Police Department, and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office all looked into the case. André Jones, an Assistant United States Attorney, handled the prosecution.