A New Orleans man has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm to further drug trafficking activities. Tyree Rudolph, 22, admitted to one count of an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson on September 16, 2025.
Rudolph will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daryl J. Papillon on December 16, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and could receive up to life imprisonment. Additionally, he may be subject to up to five years of supervised release, a fine as high as $250,000, and a $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating Rudolph in October 2023 due to his ties with members of “M3RE,” a criminal group operating out of the Magnolia Housing Projects in New Orleans. Detectives observed that Rudolph posted an advertisement on social media for the sale of a Draco assault rifle for $800.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Rudolph’s residence on October 19, 2023. During the search, law enforcement recovered two plastic bags containing fentanyl totaling over 75 grams, $724 in cash, thirty-four counterfeit $100 bills, three firearms—including two Glock handguns and a Romarm/Cugir Draco pistol—with live ammunition for each weapon, a machinegun conversion device known as a Glock switch, additional ammunition rounds, and various gun parts and accessories.
The investigation was conducted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community organizations. The Department strengthened PSN’s approach in May 2021 by focusing on building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention initiatives led by community organizations, prioritizing strategic enforcement actions, and measuring outcomes.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed from the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit is prosecuting the matter.
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