New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Weapons Charge

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –NELSON RAYMOND, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 31, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Wendy B. Vitter to seventy (70) months of incarceration after pleading guilty to a one-count indictment. Judge B. Vitter ordered that RAYMOND shall be on supervised release for a term of three (3) years following his release from imprisonment. RAYMOND was also ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. 

According to public records, Judge Vitter’s sentence was above the United State Sentencing Guidelines.

Count 1 charged RAYMOND with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).

On October 15, 2021, RAYMOND was at the intersection of Olive Street and Hamilton Street in New Orleans, sitting inside his vehicle. At some point, an unknown man walked to the vehicle, opened the rear driver side door, and placed a rifle in RAYMOND’s vehicle. Later, police observed RAYMOND with a firearm in his waistband. RAYMOND’s vehicle was later searched, and three firearms were recovered.

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 male our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principals: 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in this matter. The case    was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit  of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.