Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

NEW ORLEANS — Dayshawn Brown, age 39, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on October 13, 2023 in a previously sealed 10-count indictment, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. The case was unsealed on October 16, 2023.

According to the indictment, Counts 1 and 8 charge Brown with distribution of quantities of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). For these offenses, he faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000 and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Count 2 charges Brown with distribution of controlled substances – a quantity of a mixture and substance containing detectable amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). For this offense, he faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000 and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Counts 3 and 5 charge Brown with distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). For these offenses, he faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to 40 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000 and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Counts 4, 6, and 10 charge Brown with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). For these offenses, he faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Count 7 charges Brown with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). For this offense, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment, up to life, to run consecutive with any other sentence, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to five years supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

Count 9 charges Brown with distribution of quantities of cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). For this offense, he faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000 and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. As to each of the ten charged counts, Brown also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

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 of Justice 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.

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

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the General Crimes Unit.

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