Nola Reporter

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Irvin J. Lefere, Jr., age 38, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance on July 31, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on or about July 13, 2022, Lefere, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, knowingly possessed a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) responded to a 911 call for assistance in Venetian Isles, Louisiana. A citizen reported that Lefere had been carrying a firearm. NOPD officers recovered the firearm from the scene and eventually turned the gun over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Lefere faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing has been scheduled before Judge Vance for November 6, 2024.

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 make 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 and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit oversees the prosecution.