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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMAL SMITH, pled guilty to various violations of the Federal Gun Control  and the Federal Controlled Substances Acts before the Honorable Judge Carl J. Barbier.

SMITH pled guilty to Count 1, charging him with possession with  intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D).  SMITH also pled guilty to Count 5, charging him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A).  SMITH also pled guilty to Counts 3 and 6, charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

SMITH faces a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 2 years of supervised release as to Count 1.  As to Count 5, SMITH faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release.  As to Counts 3 and 6, SMITH faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.  SMITH must pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 for each count. SMITH’S sentencing is scheduled for April 27, 2023.

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.

The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Privitera (Unit Chief), Inga Petrovich, and David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.