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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced  that JOSELYN BARRA, 54, from St. Tammany Parish, pled guilty on December 16, 2021 to counts two and three of the superseding indictment for misprision of a felony and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 4, 922(g)(1), and 924(a)(2), respectively.  BARRA was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on July 1, 2021.

According to court documents, in May 2019, while investigating a shooting in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans, detectives located four firearms and a bullet-proof vest in BARRA’s home.  Before May 2019, both BARRA and her son, Matthew Barra, were convicted of various felonies, which precluded them from possessing firearms.  BARRA lied to police and attempted to subvert the investigation, for which she was charged with misprision of a felony.

At sentencing, for count two, misprision of a felony, BARRA faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of three (3) years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, up to one (1) year of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 4.  For count three, felon in possession of a firearm, she faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(a)(2).

 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone.  PSN is 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.