Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

NEW ORLEANS — George Peterson, 60, a resident of Waggaman, was sentenced on Jan. 9 by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 24 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm silencer, in violation of Title 26, U.S. Code, Sections 5841, 5861(d), and 5871.

According to court documents, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant at Peterson’s residence, which also served as the storefront location for his business, PDW Gun Solutions LLC, a federal firearms licensee. During the search, ATF agents discovered a firearm silencer inside a safe in Peterson’s bedroom. ATF examination of the silencer revealed that ammunition had been fired through it. The silencer was not registered to Peterson in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal statute.

This case was investigated by the ATF. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.

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.

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