DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Louisiana

For Immediate Release

Thursday, March 9, 2023
Duane A. Evans
, United States Attorney

New Orleans Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Federal Prison for Violating the Federal Gun Control Act

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On March 8, 2023 United States Senior District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced JOHNNY WALSH, age 25, a resident of New Orleans, to serve 64 months in prison for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court records, 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. During each incident, WALSH had a handgun with a 50 round drum magazine attached.

Judge Lemelle ordered that WALSH serve 64 months on each count, with the sentences to be run concurrently. WALSH will also be placed on supervised release for three years after his release from prison. Judge Lemelle also ordered WALSH to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count.

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

New Orleans Field Division