Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
New Orleans Man Sentenced on Drug and Weapons Charges
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant, KEENAN CONLEY, age 25, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced on February 9, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon to 92 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, and a mandatory $400 special assessment fee on four counts of a five-count indictment. Additionally, Judge Fallon ran the federal sentence consecutive to the defendant’s state sentence in another matter.
In Count 1 of the indictment, CONLEY is charged with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D). In Counts 3 and 5, CONLEY is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Finally, in Count 4, CONLEY is charged with possession with the intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and (b)(1)(D).
On January 25, 2021, CONLEY was involved in a shooting in Harvey, LA. Pursuant to the shooting investigation, detectives conducted a search of his vehicle and found narcotics and a firearm. An arrest warrant was issued by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO), and CONLEY was subsequently arrested on May 17, 2021. During his arrest on May 17, 2021, JPSO located a firearm in his engine compartment near the battery as well as narcotics in his possession.
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.
U. S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.