Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

NEW ORLEANS – HAROLD FOSTER, age 31, and MARC DALTON, age 31, of New Orleans, Louisiana were sentenced on April 25, 2023 by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. After a federal jury trial, the defendants were convicted of two counts of carjacking in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1) and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). FOSTER was sentenced to a total of 44 years imprisonment and DALTON was sentenced to a total of 41 years and 6 months imprisonment.

Testimony at trial established that FOSTER and DALTON carjacked the driver of a white Chevrolet Equinox on April 10, 2020 at the Eastside Cash and Carry convenience store on Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans. The defendants held the victim at gunpoint with a revolver in furtherance of the offense. After forcing him into his car, the pair briefly kidnapped, then abandoned him on the side of the road.

The evidence at trial also showed that on April 12, 2020, FOSTER and DALTON were caught immediately after a second carjacking. In that event, two victims were sitting in a Mercedes C300 vehicle on St. Peter Street in New Orleans when the defendants held them at gunpoint with a semi-automatic Taurus handgun. Like the previous offense, the defendants kidnapped then abandoned the victims on the side of the road. The New Orleans Police Department located the defendants in the stolen Mercedes immediately after the carjacking and arrested them following a high-speed pursuit on Downman Road.

FOSTER’s 44-year sentence consists of 180 months for each count of carjacking and 84 months for each count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, all to run consecutively. He was further ordered to pay $400.00 in mandatory special assessment fees and serve a term five years on supervised release. DALTON’s 41 year and 6-month sentence consists of 165 months for each count of carjacking and 84 months for each count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, all to run consecutively. He was further ordered to pay $400.00 in mandatory special assessment fees and serve a term five years on supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Orleans Police Department, and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles D. Strauss, David E. Haller of the Violent Crime Unit, and J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.