Three New Orleans Men Sentenced for Federal Gun and Drug Offenses

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TERRAN WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Funky,” age 25, ALLEN GRAY, a/k/a “Kyedi,” age 26, and KERRY BROOKS, age 34, all residents of New Orleans, Louisiana, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier in connection with a twelve-count indictment charging them with violations of the Federal Gun Control Act and the Federal Controlled Substances Act.   

WILLIAMS was granted a downward variance and received a total sentence of 180 months imprisonment, four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $600 mandatory special assessment fee.

GRAY received a total sentence of 180 months imprisonment, four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $600 mandatory special assessment fee.

BROOKS received a total sentence of 197 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $600 mandatory special assessment fee.

According to court records, WILLIAMS, GRAY, and BROOKS were charged with twelve separate counts related to four different events in which they were caught by police with guns and drugs.  WILLIAMS and GRAY were charged in Counts 1, 2, and 3 with possession of marijuana and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being felons in possession of firearms.  Those three counts related to an August 26, 2020 car chase in which the defendants wrecked a Nissan Maxima during flight from police, leaving behind guns, drugs, and their phones with attached identification documents in the wrecked vehicle.  The FBI obtained warrants for WILLIAMS and GRAY.

When the FBI arrested WILLIAMS on the outstanding warrant on September 12, 2020, he had a rifle, a pistol, and a large amount of marijuana.  A grand jury subsequently charged WILLIAMS with three additional counts, Counts 4, 5, and 6, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of firearms. 

Two days after arresting WILLIAMS, the FBI found GRAY and BROOKS in a New Orleans hotel room in possession of a large quantity of marijuana, over 40 grams of fentanyl bagged for distribution, $4,000 cash and two handguns with extended magazines.  GRAY and BROOKS were ultimately charged in Counts 7, 8 and 9, with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and fentanyl, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being felons in possession of firearms.

The FBI later arrested BROOKS at an apartment outside of New Orleans and recovered $20,000 in cash, a digital scale with powder, a small bag of fentanyl, and another pistol with an extended magazine.  BROOKS was charged in Counts 10, 11 and 12, with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of 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.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller and Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crime Unit.