New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm

NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on March 20, Darron Blue, 27, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 922(g)(1).

According to court documents, on Oct. 1, 2023, following a shooting in downtown New Orleans, police officers developed Blue as a suspect and secured an arrest warrant for him and a search warrant for his residence. During the execution of the search warrant, New Orleans police officers seized a firearm, specifically, a Smith & Wesson Model SW40VE, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, as well as .40 and .45 caliber ammunition.

At sentencing, Blue, faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, up to three years of supervised release and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit.

###