Press Release
Honduran National Sentenced for Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – VARION ROGELIO LOBO-BARAHONA (“LOBO-BARAHONA”), age 31, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on December 10, 2024 by United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. LOBO-BARAHONA was sentenced to time served, supervised release for three (3) years and payment of a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on or about November 23, 2023, LOBO-BARAHONA, an alien present illegally in the United States, was found in possession of a Smith and Wesson handgun. Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) deputies observed a vehicle without a license plate being driven carelessly at a high speed, while attempting to flee, and succeeded in pulling over the vehicle. The JPSO then noticed a handgun in the defendant’s waistband. The gun, a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson Model SD40, was manufactured out of state and had been reported stolen. JPSO learned from federal immigration authorities that the defendant was a Honduran citizen, who had been deported on July 5, 2013 and had not received permission to come back to the United States.
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 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 United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Contact
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Department of Justice
Updated December 17, 2024
Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Component