U.S. Department
of Justice
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On November 1, 2023, TORY DUNCAN, age 28, pled guilty to Counts 4 and 5 of a superseding indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and Oxycodone, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C) (Count 4) and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (Count 5), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
As to Count 4, DUNCAN faces a term of imprisonment between five and forty years, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least 4 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. As to Count 5, DUNCAN faces a term of imprisonment between five years and life, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. DUNCAN is set for sentencing on February 28, 2024.
According to court records, on March 24, 2022, members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) responded to an anonymous tip of a man carrying a firearm in the St. Thomas Housing Development. Upon arrival at the 1900 block of St. Thomas Street, officers observed DUNCAN who, at the sight of the officers, fled. DUNCAN jumped a fence with a black semi-automatic firearm in hand and ran to a nearby parking lot where he was apprehended by police. The officers recovered the firearm, a Glock Model 29, 10 mm caliber pistol; $2,029 in U.S. currency; and a vehicle key fob from DUNCAN. The vehicle key fob corresponded to a gray Infiniti sedan in the parking lot where officers initially encountered DUNCAN. A search of that vehicle led to the seizure of 78.66 grams of fentanyl, 1002 multi-colored pills found to contain methamphetamine, 35 pills of Oxycodone, a digital scale, razor blades, loose plastic bags, and paperwork bearing DUNCAN’s name.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Department of Justice