Department of Justice

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DERRICK GROVES, age 24, of New Orleans, was sentenced on November 2, 2021 for federal firearms and narcotics violations.

According to court documents, on October 12, 2018, DERRICK GROVES possessed with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl; on January 25, 2019, GROVES possessed with intent to distribute heroin, all in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).  DERRICK GROVES was also in possession of a firearm on those dates, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).

U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced GROVES to serve 11 years and 9 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.  Judge Guidry also imposed $400 in mandatory special assessment fees.

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.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Violent Crimes Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni is in charge of the prosecution.

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