Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Charge
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that ALTON COOKS, from Orleans Parish, pleaded guilty on July 7, 2021 to a one-count indictment. COOKS was indicted by a federal Grand Jury on October 23, 2020.
On July 7, 2021, COOKS pleaded guilty as charged to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(e). If the Court determines, at sentencing, that COOKS is an Armed Career Criminal, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, up to 5 years supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.
If the Court determines that he is not an Armed Career Criminal, COOKS faces up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.
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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Bücher of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.