Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on December 8, 2022 MAURICE BUTLER, age 34, resident of St. Tammany Parish, was charged in a one-count indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

If convicted, BUTLER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

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 reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Kennedy.