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

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DARRON BLUE (“BLUE”), age 27, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 10, 2024 to fifty-seven (57) months in prison, three years of supervised release and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk, after previously pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on October 1, 2023, New Orleans police officers developed BLUE as a suspect in a downtown New Orleans shooting and secured both an arrest warrant for him, and a search warrant for his residence.  During the execution of the search warrant, police officers seized a Smith & Wesson Model SW40VE, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, as well as .40 and .45 caliber ammunition.

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.