U.S. Department
of Justice
Press Release
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Gun Control Act
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – AARON HENDERSON, age 26, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on November 1, 2023 before United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance, to possession a firearm after being convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
HENDERSON, a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms, came to the attention of law enforcement after the New Orleans Police Child Abuse Unit received a video depicting him in a room with a three-year-old boy, while armed with a Draco 7.62 mm rifle, and rapping song lyrics. HENDERSON encouraged the three-year-old to pick up a handgun located on a bed. As a result, the child picked up the gun and waived it around.
HENDERSON faces up to fifteen years in prison and up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. He also faces a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing is set for February 21, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Vance.
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.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.
Contact
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Department of Justice
Updated November 9, 2023
Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods