Lawrence Watkins, 26, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025, to federal drug and weapons charges in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
Court documents state that on June 22, 2023, law enforcement officers from the Louisiana State Police and the FBI New Orleans Gang Task Force were conducting patrols in Algiers to address violent crime. Officers attempted to stop a suspicious Dodge Durango, which then fled and crashed into a utility pole. Watkins and other occupants ran from the scene but were apprehended by police.
After Watkins was caught, officers found his backpack containing a Century Arms Micro Draco pistol, ammunition, $1,053 in cash, drug paraphernalia, and amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana.
Watkins faces up to twenty years in prison for the drug trafficking charge and at least three years of supervised release. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life for possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime; this sentence must run consecutively with any other sentences imposed. Fines could reach $1 million for the drug charge and $250,000 for the firearms charge. Each count carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing is scheduled for November 20, 2025.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates law enforcement efforts to reduce violent crime and gun violence nationwide. The Department of Justice strengthened PSN’s strategy in May 2021 with principles focused on community trust-building and strategic enforcement priorities. More information about Project Safe Neighborhoods can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI New Orleans Gang Task Force and Louisiana State Police. Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger and Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel are prosecuting the case.
“Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on August 21, 2025, LAWRENCE WATKINS (“WATKINS”), age 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances…and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime…”
“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…”
“The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force, and the Louisiana State Police.”
Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger and Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel are leading prosecution efforts.
