New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - WILL WILLIS ("WILLIS"), age 34, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 18, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court records, in June 2023, the New Orleans Police Department conducted video surveillance in New Orleans, when an officer saw WILLIS with a bulge in his waistband consistent with a firearm. When police officers responded, WILLIS and another individual, ran. WILLIS attempted to discard his gun, but it discharged. After police arrested WILLIS, they found two handguns, a Glock Model 27, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and a nine-millimeter handgun, along with one spent shell casing, in his flight path. WILLIS admitted to possessing one of the guns, after having been convicted of four prior felony offenses.

Judge Ashe sentenced WILLIS to 46 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Ashe also ordered WILLIS to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator.