New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Weapons Violations

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –  On July 20, 2023,  PERCY SMITH, age 43, a resident of New Orleans, La., plead guilty to  a two-count indictment. Sentencing is set for October 26, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

SMITH is charged in Count 1 and Count 2 of the indictment with possessing a firearm, as a previously convicted felon, on two separate occasions, June 19, 2021, and June 30, 2021, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).  SMITH faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 per count. 

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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case  is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.