NEW ORLEANS, LA – DAMER SMITH, age 46, of Raceland, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 11, 2023 for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A) and 924(c)(1)(A)(i), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, on November 17, 2018, deputies with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to SMITH’s residence after he threatened to kill his minor children.  When deputies arrived, SMITH opened the door of his residence and fired a shot into the yard.  Subsequently, SMITH surrendered, and deputies escorted the children from the residence safely.  Thereafter, deputies executed search warrants on the residence, locating three firearms, ammunition, and approximately 3,898 grams of prepackaged marijuana.

U.S. District Court Judge Greg Guidry sentenced SMITH to 84 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  SMITH was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

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.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office in this investigation.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.