New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Gun Control Act

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL WILLIAMS, age 29, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on October 31, 2023 to being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), before U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion.

According to court documents, on January 10, 2023, WILLIAMS and three other individuals were standing near the intersection of North Broad and Hope streets at the edge of the Seventh Ward.  When NOPD detectives drove by in an unmarked vehicle, the individuals backed up and clutched at their waistbands, indicating to the detectives that they possessed concealed firearms. Marked NOPD units were called to the area and, upon seeing the police vehicles, WILLIAMS ran down North Broad Street and across St Bernard Avenue.  While WILLIAMS was being pursued by an NOPD officer he removed a Glock Model 43 handgun that was concealed on his person and discarded it on the ground.

WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

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.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.