Felon in Possession of a Firearm Sentenced to Federal Prison

United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced DEMARCUS FLEMING, a 38 year-old resident of Baton Rouge, to 115 months in federal prison following his conviction of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.  The Court further sentenced FLEMING to 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm be forfeited.

On July 5, 2017, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a “disturbance with shots fired,” at a residence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  As they did so, the deputies, via their investigation, determined that FLEMING possessed the firearm which they located on the ground in front of the residence.   FLEMING was previously convicted in East Baton Rouge Parish of possession of cocaine and attempted possession of a firearm, felony offenses.  The Court stated in part for the reasoning, “The Court has an absolute obligation to protect the community and, based on your drug use and behavior in the past, it is not a stretch for the Court to find that you pose a serious risk to the public.”

U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “Our office works hard to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted felons, and this is an example of what can be achieved when federal, state, and local agencies work together. I want to thank our prosecutors, the ATF, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office for their efforts.”

ATF Resident Agent-in-Charge Antonio L. Pittman stated, “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with our Federal, State, and Local Law enforcement partners continue to serve our communities by focusing our efforts on removing armed violent offenders from our streets. We work diligently to protect our citizens by presenting relevant investigative work to our Middle District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal prosecution. The arrest and prosecution of Mr. Fleming is one example of the great work we are doing in our district.”

“This indictment is one example of the collaboration of local, state and federal agencies to get dangerous criminals and weapons off our streets. The EBR Sheriff's Office is committed to continuing to work with all our law enforcement counterparts to ensure the safety of our residents.  I'm grateful to the U.S. Attorney's Office for their hard work and dedication in prosecuting these cases that our agents have worked so hard to develop,” stated EBR Sheriff Sid Gautreaux.

This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Jefferson.