Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOHNNY WALSH, age 25, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty yesterday to violating the Federal Gun Control Act before United States Senior District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

WALSH pleaded guilty to two different counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one from March 2022 and the other from August 2022. On the March 2022 charge, WALSH faces up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, plus a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. On the August 2022 charge, WALSH faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, plus a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

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 New Orleans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.