Department of Justice

NEW ORLEANS — Derrick Johnson, 26, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court records, Johnson was arrested on a state warrant at a New Orleans motel. After the arresting officers saw two guns in the room, they called the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for assistance. Johnson told the ATF agent who arrived that anything found in the room belonged to him. A woman who rented the room consented to a search by the ATF agent. After searching, the agent found two handguns, a .380 pistol and a 9-millimeter pistol. Johnson admitted the guns were his. At the time, he had numerous prior felony convictions that prevented him from possessing a firearm.

Subsequently, Johnson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms, namely the two pistol founds during the search of the motel room. At his April 11, 2024, sentencing, Johnson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release and a 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.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.

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