Press Releases
NEW ORLEANS MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR GUN CHARGES
August 9, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARTIN BLANCO, 22, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana was sentenced to serve twenty-seven (27) months in federal prison by U. S. District Judge Lance M. Africk, as a result of his felony guilty plea for illegally possessing a firearm on January 25, 2007 while being a unlawful user of controlled substances and then being addicted to a controlled substance, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Africk imposed a term of three (3) years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment. During the term of supervised release, the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of his supervised release. After sentencing, BLANCO was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal’s Service to immediately begin his term of imprisonment.
According to court documents, BLANCO was arrested by New Orleans Police after he was stopped for traffic violations and a firearm was found in plain view. The investigation revealed that BLANCO, who had no prior felony convictions, had and extensive drug use history and had become recently addicted to heroin. The Federal Firearms Act prohibits illegal drug users and addicts from possessing firearm. The federal investigation resulted in a federal complaint being issued on January 27, 2007. The arrest and prosecution was done pursuant to the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
United States Attorney Jim Letten commended the NOPD officers who made the initial arrest, the Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Assistant U. S. Attorneys who worked hard to achieve this and other important convictions in support of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Administration’s top domestic enforcement priority aimed at reducing gun crimes in our community.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tony Gordon Sanders.
