Louisiana Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison After Shooting at a Woman and Child

New Orleans, Louisiana – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that Sterling Robinson, also known as “Scooter,” age 31, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Ten years of the sentence was for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), to be run consecutive to another ten years imprisonment for obstruction of justice in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(c)(2). Robinson is also required to pay a total of $200 in mandatory special assessment fees.

Robinson was found guilty following a federal jury trial. On March 13, 2020, he was in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to testimony and evidence at trial, when he fired five rounds at a vehicle his girlfriend was driving with her young son in the backseat. He then obstructed justice by attempting to persuade the victim, his girlfriend, to change her story and tell authorities that someone else shot at her.

Robinson was previously convicted of a federal felony charge for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to court records. Robinson was still on supervised release with US Probation at the time of the current offense, having served a five-year sentence for the previous conviction.

Robinson faced up to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment fee for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faced up to twenty years in prison, three years of supervised release, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 for obstruction of justice.

The case was presided over by the Honorable Eldon E. Fallon of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

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.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for their work in investigating this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. and Charles D. Strauss.