Federal jury finds Monroe felon guilty of possessing pistol, ammunition

MONROE, La. – Daryon D. Kelley, age 23, of Monroe, Louisiana, was found guilty today in United States District Court following a three-day trial, announced United States Attorney David C. Joseph.

After deliberating this afternoon, the federal jury found Kelley guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Evidence admitted at trial revealed that West Monroe police conducted a traffic stop October 2, 2017 on the vehicle Kelley was driving.  During a search of the vehicle, police officers found a Ruger .9 mm-caliber pistol and ammunition, $10,400 and a partially smoked marijuana cigar in the center console.  Daryon Kelley was previously convicted on April 9, 2015 for a drug distribution charge.

“Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition,” stated U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners in keeping our neighborhoods safe and we will continue to work together towards a safer Monroe in 2019.”  

The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing has been set for May 15, 2019.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The ATF and the West Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Earl M. Campbell are prosecuting the case.