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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On July 7, 2022, United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ALTON COOKS to 115 months in the Bureau of Prisons for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

COOKS was charged on October 23, 2020 in a one-count indictment with possessing a Taurus Model PT111 Pro, nine-millimeter pistol while being a convicted felon.  COOKS will serve 115 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which 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.

U. S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Bücher.