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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that Matthew Barra, 33, from Orleans Parish, pled guilty on July 8, 2021 to a one-count superseding indictment.  The superseding indictment charged Barra with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).

Between May 8 – 29, 2019, Barra possessed four firearms. Before May 2019, he was convicted of various felonies stemming from several incidents in Orleans Parish and East Baton Rouge Parish, which precluded him from possessing firearms.

At sentencing, Barra faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of up to ten (10) years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.

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.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Bücher of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.