New Orleans Man Sentenced for Weapons Violations

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that today, PERCY SMITH, age 45, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier to 63 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to three counts of a seven-count superseding indictment. 

The superseding indictment charged SMITH in Counts 1 and 2 with possessing a firearm, on both, June 19 and June 30, 2021, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). 

According to court documents, on June 19, 2021, NOPD responded to a call of a domestic abuse battery and saw SMITH with a duffle bag containing a firearm.  On June 30, 2021, SMITH was arrested pursuant to a warrant for domestic abuse battery and aggravated assault.  During his arrest, officers saw SMITH drop a firearm.  SMITH is a convicted felon and is prohibited from  possessing these weapons.

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  .