New Orleans Man Charged With Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that WARREN PICARD, age 26, of New Orleans, was indicted by a federal grand jury for violations of the Federal Gun Control Act on August 12, 2021. The indictment was unsealed on January 12, 2022. Specifically, PICARD was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
According to the indictment, PICARD possessed a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter caliber pistol on or about July 21, 2020. If convicted of these charges, PICARD faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment followed by up to 3 years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.
This case is being investigated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.
