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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on November 18, 2021, MICHAEL LEWIS, age 33, a resident of Edgard, Louisiana, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).  He faces a sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000.00, not more than three years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.  LEWIS was charged in a one-count indictment with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.  LEWIS will be sentenced on January 27, 2022.

As part of his guilty plea, LEWIS, admitted to the following facts:

On Friday May 11, 2018 at approximately 11:45pm officers conducted a traffic stop on MICHAEL LEWIS for traffic violations (crossing the center lane and turning without a signal) in Thibodaux, Louisiana.  The officers approached LEWIS and asked for his license.  LEWIS did not have a driver’s license.  Officers also observed an open beer and marijuana on the center console of the vehicle.  As deputies conducted a pat down for their safety, LEWIS pushed one of the deputies and tried to run.  LEWIS was then subdued by the officers after resisting arrest.  A search of LEWIS revealed a loaded gun in his waistband.  A criminal history check revealed that LEWIS had several prior felony convictions.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (A.T.F.).  Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu is in charge of the prosecution.