Lafayette man pleads guilty to possessing stolen pistol

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing a stolen pistol he had purchased on the street.

Paul Sidney Breaux, 37, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of possession of a stolen firearm. According to the guilty plea, Lafayette police arrested Breaux on May 1, 2018. At the time of his arrest, he possessed a Springfield Armory Model 1911 pistol and was aware it was stolen. He told officers he had purchased the firearm five days earlier on the street from some younger males.

Breaux faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for October 31, 2018.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The ATF and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.