A New Orleans resident, David Louis IV, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Louis, 22 years old, faces up to fifteen years in prison, a fine that could reach $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Court documents show that on April 15, 2025, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) was conducting surveillance near Conrad Park on Hamilton Street using Real Time Crime Center cameras. This area is recognized by authorities for frequent gun violence and narcotics activity.
During the surveillance operation, detectives observed Louis and a female associate entering Conrad Park. Louis had a black backpack with him. He was seen removing marijuana from his backpack and smoking it while speaking with his associate. Detectives also saw him remove a black pistol from his waistband.
Later, a silver Nissan Altima arrived at the park driven by Louis’s girlfriend; another adult woman and Louis’s children were also inside the vehicle. Louis approached the car and became involved in an argument with its occupants. During this confrontation, he took out the pistol again and waved it in the air.
Police officers responded after observing these actions on camera. As they approached in marked units, Louis entered the front passenger seat of the Altima. While inside the car, he placed his Glock model 23 .40 caliber pistol—loaded with twenty-two rounds—and his backpack on the driver’s side floorboard where his girlfriend was seated. Officers instructed him to exit the vehicle.
A subsequent search recovered both items from where they had been left in the car. Inside Louis’s backpack were three additional live rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; an eleven-round magazine; marijuana; and an identification card belonging to Louis.
Louis has prior felony convictions which prohibit him under federal law from possessing firearms.
Sentencing will be carried out by United States District Court Judge Darrell J. Papillion on April 7, 2026.
According to officials: “This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
The investigation was conducted by both FBI agents and NOPD officers; Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed is prosecuting.
