A Slidell man has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for possessing a machine gun, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Cuong Quoc Tran, 39, received the sentence on September 11, 2025, from United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe. In addition to the prison term, Tran was ordered to serve one year of supervised release, pay a $10,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Court documents state that on January 5, 2022, the Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark intercepted a fishing vessel named the “Lucky Jean” about four nautical miles from Southwest Pass within the Eastern District of Louisiana’s jurisdiction. During a safety search of the vessel, Coast Guard personnel discovered multiple rifles capable of fully automatic fire.
Tran, who was captain of the vessel at the time, admitted during an interview with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that he possessed seven weapons found on board and had converted them into fully automatic firearms. Subsequent testing by ATF confirmed that these weapons were fully automatic.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson acknowledged the efforts of both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice Jr., from the General Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the matter.
The prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and local communities. The Department of Justice implemented an updated violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021; it focuses on building trust in communities, supporting organizations working to prevent violence before it starts, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes. More information about Project Safe Neighborhoods can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
“Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service.”
