Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LANCE STEVENS, age 27, a resident of Gretna, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on April 20, 2023 before Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to a six-count indictment charging him with violations of the Federal Gun Control Act and the Federal Controlled Substances Act. STEVENS was charged with two counts of drug trafficking in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of those drug trafficking offenses in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A), and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

According to court documents, STEVENS was arrested by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives on two separate occasions in 2021. At the time of each arrest, STEVENS, a convicted felon, possessed illegal narcotics that he intended to sell and firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

For Count 1, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and tramadol, STEVENS faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, at least two years of supervised release for trafficking marijuana, and at least one year of supervised release for trafficking tramadol. For Count 4, possession with intent to distribute tapentadol, STEVENS faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. For Counts 2 and 5, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, STEVENS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison on each count, which must run consecutive to each other and to any other count, a maximum $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. For Counts 3 and 6, felon in possession of a firearm, STEVENS faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment on each count, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. STEVENS must also pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 for each count.

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.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit.