New Orleans Man Indicted For Gun and Drug Offenses

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DATAYNA HOWARD, age 21, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on June 22, 2023, for violating the Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Acts, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.

HOWARD is charged in Count 1 of the indictment with possession with intent to distribute tapentadol and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and (b)(1)(D).  He is charged in Count 2 with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). 

If convicted of Count 1 HOWARD faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.  If convicted of Count 2, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, up to five years of supervised release and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. 

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 

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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

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