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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CARLOS WALKER, age 33, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, pled guilty on January 31, 2023 to one count of felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, on September 24, 2021, officers with the Bogalusa Police Department observed a black Nissan Altima with a non-functioning headlight traveling east on Derbigny Street in Bogalusa, Louisiana.  The officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle.  As the officers approached the vehicle, they observed WALKER in the front passenger seat kicking his legs as if he were shoving something under the seat.   One of the officers recognized WALKER and remembered that a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

After the confirming the warrant, the officers arrested WALKER.  In a search incident to arrest,  officers located approximately $4,000.00 in WALKER’S pocket.  Officers then observed a Taurus Model G2C, nine-millimeter handgun under the passenger seat.  Officers also located a small clear wrap containing seventeen (17) grams of methamphetamine in the front passenger door pocket.

A review of WALKER’S criminal record revealed that he had a prior felony drug convictions.

For the felon in possession count, WALKER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to three (3) years.  For the possession with intent to distribute count, WALKER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and a term of supervised release of at least three (3) years.  For the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime count, WALKER faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum of life imprisonment to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to five (5) years.  At sentencing, WALKER must pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count of conviction.

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, the Bogalusa Police Department, and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.