NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –  MELVIN WALKER, age 35, a resident of Westwego, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District  Judge, Jay C. Zainey  to  37 months  in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.  On May 11, 2023, WALKER pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

According to court records, WALKER was standing outside of his residence when the occupants of a white SUV opened fire at him.  WALKER removed a nine-millimeter firearm from his waistband and fired back at the fleeing SUV.  WALKER sustained a gunshot wound during the gunfire exchange. 

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and collected fired casings from WALKER’s nine-millimeter firearm, as well as .223 rifle casings believed to have been discharged by the occupants of the white SUV.  WALKER’s residence was searched by deputies who located a bloody nine-millimeter magazine was found on WALKER’s living room couch.  The deputies also determined that the ammunition collected from the magazine was the same caliber and brand of ammunition discharged by the nine-millimeter that WALKER discharged. WALKER has two previous convictions for firearms-related offenses and is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Following his term of incarceration, WALKER will be placed on supervised release for 36 months.  The court also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.  

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 to make our 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.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Public Integrity Unit.