Shreveport felon, Lafayette felon plead guilty to possessing firearms

SHREVEPORT/ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport felon and a Lafayette felon pleaded guilty to possessing firearms in two separate cases.

Shreveport felon pleads guilty to possessing revolver

Roderick Charles Scott, 43, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty October 10, 2018 before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, Shreveport police responded to a shooting in the Hollywood area on June 23, 2017. Upon arrival, police observed an individual enter a home on Miles Street. Police ordered the individual out of the home and discovered it was Scott. When approached, he had a Rossi .38 special revolver clenched in his right hand. Police confiscated the gun and arrested Scott.

Scott faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for February 12, 2019. The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Crawford is prosecuting the case. 

Lafayette felon pleads guilty to possessing two firearms 

Kenyatta Edmond, 40, of Lafayette, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

According to the guilty plea, a concerned citizen reported on January 22, 2018 to Lafayette police that a man was unconscious behind the wheel of a car at the intersection of Evangeline Thruway and Mudd Avenue. An officer approached the vehicle and saw Edmond slumped forward appearing to be asleep. The officer saw a pistol in Edmond’s lap with his hand around the grip. The officer then ordered Edmond out of the vehicle and placed him under arrest. Edmond told the officer that he had a second firearm in the vehicle. The officer searched the vehicle and found a Berretta Model PX4 Storm .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Taurus Model Judge .410 gauge revolver. After further investigation, it was discovered that the revolver had been previously reported stolen and that Edmonds has four prior felony convictions.

Edmond faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for February 1, 2019. The ATF and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.

These cases were 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.