New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy, Firearm Conspiracy, and Hobbs Act Robbery

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on November 2, 2023, JAMAL CLAY, a/k/a “Mal,” a/k/a “Young Mal,” a/k/a “O,” a/k/a “YM,” pled guilty to various violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, the Federal Gun Control Act, and Hobbs Act robbery.  CLAY specifically pled guilty to Counts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the superseding bill of information pending against him before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.

CLAY pled guilty to Count 1 of the superseding bill of information, in which he was charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and a quantity of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 84l(a)(l), (b)(l )(B), (b)(1)(D), and 846.  CLAY faces a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least 4 years supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. 

CLAY pled guilty to Count 2 of the superseding bill of information, in which he was charged with participating in a conspiracy to use firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o).  CLAY faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, 3 years supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee for this count.

CLAY pled guilty to Count 3 of the superseding bill of information, in which he was charged with participating in a Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951.  CLAY faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee for this count. 

CLAY also pled guilty to Count 4 of the superseding bill of information, in which he was charged with possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of and during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(ii) and 2 (aiding and abetting).  CLAY faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to five years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.  This sentence must be imposed consecutively to any other sentence.   

According to public documents, in 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated a group for committing various violent crimes and illegal drug trafficking, primarily in New Orleans East and the Ninth Ward section of New Orleans.  Thereafter, CLAY, along with nine others, were indicted, for conspiring to possess firearms, traffic drugs and commit armed robberies of drug dealers.  CLAY’s plea documents detail his role as a drug trafficker who often possessed firearms, as well as his participation in the armed robbery of a drug dealer’s home and the residents within it on September 25, 2019, in Violet, Louisiana. 

CLAY’s sentencing is scheduled for February 21, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.

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, the New Orleans Police Department, and the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crime Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.