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 – JEROME WILSON (“WILSON”), age 29, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 11, 2024 to 144 months in prison for drug and firearm violations, followed by five years of supervised release, and a mandatory $400 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion, to a four-count superseding indictment.
Count 1 charged WILSON with conspiring to distribute Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(b)(1)(C) and 846. Count 2 charged WILSON with conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o). Count 3 charged WILSON with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Finally, Count 4 charged WILSON with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, on December 6, 2022, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) agents surveilling the 1900 block of Frenchmen Street in New Orleans saw WILSON driving a white Dodge Challenger with one passenger. Agents then saw WILSON, his passenger, and a third co-defendant apparently engaged in illegal narcotics transactions, all while possessing firearms. Soon after, WILSON took a firearm from the car and put it atop the right rear tire to allow easy access while selling drugs. WILSON was later arrested after a brief pursuit. Subsequently, officers obtained a state search warrant for the white Dodge Challenger and recovered a Sarsilmaz, Model Sar9, 9-millimeter pistol, from the center console. A criminal history check revealed that WILSON had two prior felony convictions and was not legally allowed to possess a firearm.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.
