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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced on October 25, 2022, that defendant CHRISTOPHER SMITH, age 31, resident of New Orleans, LA, pled guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey to a federal weapons violation of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In Count 1 of the indictment, SMITH is charged with possessing three firearms on April 10, 2022, as a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).  SMITH faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000,  up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.  SMITH’S sentencing is scheduled for January 17, 2023.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.