New Orleans Man Guilty of Drug Trafficking and Possessing a Machinegun

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –RENARD SANTIAGO (“SANTIAGO”), age 19, pleaded guilty on February 18, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

According to court documents, SANTIAGO was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department for an armed robbery and a separate shooting.  During the course of the investigation into his whereabouts, law enforcement officers observed stories on SANTIAGO’s Instagram account showing SANTIAGO in possession of a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device, posing with large amounts of cash, and advertising the sale of marijuana.  The next day, officers executed a search warrant at SANTIAGO’s residence.  SANTIAGO hid in the attic for four hours before he was finally forced out of the house.  Inside the attic, officers found SANTIAGO’s handgun, with the machinegun conversion device still attached, a distributable quantity of marijuana, and over $400 in cash.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, SANTIAGO will serve 15 years in prison. The Court took SANTIAGO’s guilty plea but deferred its decision on whether to accept or reject the negotiated plea until sentencing. SANTIAGO also faces a term of supervised release of at least two years and up to life.  Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine 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 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.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.