New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -WADE BATISTE ("BATISTE"), age 43, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 16, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion for violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act and the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

Specifically, BATISTE was sentenced for possessing, with the intent to distribute, a quantity of marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(D) and being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court records, BATISTE was arrested at a second line parade in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans for possessing several bags of marijuana packaged for distribution, a handgun equipped with a 50 round drum magazine, another smaller backup handgun, a large knife, and another smaller knife. At the time of his arrest, BATISTE had an extensive criminal history with numerous felony convictions, that prohibited him from possessing guns.

Judge Papillion sentenced BATISTE to 120 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment, and payment of a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.

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. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator.