New Orleans Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of a Firearm
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that GERARD LAWLESS, age 41, of New Orleans, was sentenced on February 3, 2021 by United States District Judge Lance M. Africk after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, on August 4, 2018, LAWLESS possessed a Ruger .38 caliber firearm in New Orleans. LAWLESS had previously been convicted of a felony offense punishable by more than 1 year of imprisonment in the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.
Judge Africk sentenced LAWLESS to 81 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and New Orleans Police Department in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Privitera and Jonathan L. Shih are in charge of the prosecution.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
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