Department of Justice

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced on Friday, December 10, 2021, that PERCY SMITH, age 43, resident of New Orleans, LA, was charged in a two-count indictment for his alleged participation in a weapons violation on June 19, 2021 and on June 30, 2021. 

According to court documents, SMITH is charged in Counts 1 and 2 of the indictment with possessing a firearm on two separate occasions, on June 19, 2021 and June 30, 2021, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).  If convicted, SMITH faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. 

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.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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.