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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant CHRISTOPHER SMITH, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 17, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey to 87 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee as to  Count One of a one-count indictment.

Count One of the indictment charges SMITH with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). On April 10, 2022, officers responded to a car crash on U.S. Highway.90 involving SMITH.  Pursuant to a search warrant, investigators discovered SMITH to be in possession of three firearms, including one that was stolen.

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 was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.