Press Releases
NEW ORLEANS MAN SENTENCED FOR WEAPONS VIOLATION
October 7, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RONALD MITCHELL, age 31, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced today in federal court by U. S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt to 36 months in prison for illegally possessing and selling a firearm in New Orleans, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Engelhardt ordered that MITCHELL be placed on three (3) years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of his supervised release.
According to court documents on July 1, 2009, MITCHELL pled guilty admitting that he and co-defendant John Delco sold a Norinko SKS .762 caliber rifle containing five live rounds to undercover federal agents in Orleans Parish in September 2008. According to the factual basis, MITCHELL and Delco sold the rifle to the undercover agents at a bogus storefront in the Hollygrove area of New Orleans. Co-defendant Delco pled guilty in June 2009 and was sentenced last month by Judge Engelhardt.
The case was investigated by the Louisiana State Police along with Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rick Veters and Christopher Cox.
