New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of Firearm Charge

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 10, 2024, JOSHUA MORGAN, age 30, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).  If convicted, MORGAN faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.  Sentencing is set for April 10, 2024.

According to court records, on October 10, 2022, NOPD responded to a 911 call of shots being fired. The caller reported observing a subject in a grey shirt with black shorts flee from a vehicle, run through a parking lot, and put something in a storm drain behind a business located in the 3400 block of Tulane Avenue. Video surveillance from the area showed an Infiniti SUV driving on Tulane Avenue toward downtown New Orleans and stop at a red light. After the Infiniti stops, one vehicle pulled up next to the Infiniti while another pulled up from behind. The occupants of those two vehicles opened fire on the Infiniti. MORGAN, who was in the Infiniti, shot through his windshield, exited the Infiniti and continued firing at the two vehicles. Surveillance video also showed MORGAN running from the Infiniti with a firearm in his hand, placing the firearm in his pants pocket, and later discarding the firearm in a storm drain. MORGAN is a felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.