New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms Offense

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA- DARNELL MELTON (‘MELTON”), age 27, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on April 23, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading 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).

According to court documents, MELTON has prior felony convictions for simple robbery, simple burglary, and attempted possession of a firearm by a felon. On March 28, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at MELTON’s shared residence. MELTON and three others were in the house but did not surrender for over an hour. When the house was searched, FBI found two AR-15 pistols and three handguns in the attic. MELTON possessed one of the handguns, a Glock Model 27 Gen4, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.

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, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.