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NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MERVIN BAILEY, age 19, of New Orleans, was indicted by a federal grand jury for carjacking and violations of the Federal Gun Control Act on November 4, 2021.  The indictment was unsealed on January 11, 2022.  Specifically, BAILEY was charged with one count of carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119; one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i), and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(k).

According to the indictment, BAILEY carjacked a 2019 BMW X7 from a victim in New Orleans on June 3, 2021.  During that carjacking, BAILEY brandished a CZ-PF10F ninemillimeter Luger handgun with an obliterated serial number.  If convicted of these charges, BAILEY faces a maximum sentence of up to 15 years of imprisonment followed by up to 3 years of supervised release on the carjacking count.  BAILEY faces a mandatory consecutive minimum sentence of 7 years up to life imprisonment, followed by up to 5 years of supervised release on the brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence count.  Finally, BAILEY faces up to a maximum sentence of 5 years of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release on the possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number count.  BAILEY also faces payment of $300 in mandatory special assessment fees.

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.