NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Two New Orleans men are off the streets for a long time after being slammed with federal sentences for a cocktail of drug and gun offenses. HENRY MITCHELL, 35, and JAYLAN WASHINGTON, 30, learned their fate July 22, 2025, in the courtroom of United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry, following guilty pleas to multiple charges. This wasn’t a simple possession case; we’re talking about a blatant operation peddling poison and packing serious heat.
MITCHELL faced the harshest penalties. He received 151 months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol (21 U.S.C. § 846) and Possession With Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol (21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(C)). Adding to that, he got another 151 months for Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)). But it didn’t stop there. Two counts of Possession of a Machine Gun (18 U.S.C. § 922(o)) tacked on another 120 months *each*. All sentences will run concurrently.
WASHINGTON wasn’t far behind. He was sentenced to 120 months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol (21 U.S.C. § 846), and another 120 months for Possession with Intent to Distribute marihuana, and tapentadol (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)). Like Mitchell, he also received 120 months for Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)), and another 120 months for Possession of a Machine Gun (18 U.S.C. § 922(o)). His sentences are also concurrent. Judge Guidry also ordered MITCHELL to pay $500.00 in mandatory special assessment fees and WASHINGTON to pay $400.
According to court documents, these two weren’t exactly hiding their activities. They were openly dealing in the Plum Orchard Neighborhood, attracting the attention of concerned citizens. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force (TFO) picked up on the complaints, alerted the New Orleans Police Department, and a swift operation shut it down. A search of their vehicles turned up the drugs, the guns, and the particularly nasty “Glock switches” – devices that turn semi-automatic pistols into illegal machine guns. These aren’t hunting rifles; they’re instruments of escalating violence.
This wasn’t their first rodeo. Both MITCHELL and WASHINGTON have lengthy rap sheets, littered with prior felony convictions – including previous run-ins with drug and firearm laws. They clearly weren’t deterred by the risks, and now they’ll have decades to contemplate their choices. Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson made it clear this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a broader initiative to tackle violent crime and gun violence at all levels.
The investigation was a joint effort between the FBI Violent Crime Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit handled the prosecution. This bust sends a clear message: flooding our streets with fentanyl and illegally modifying firearms will be met with the full force of federal law. The PSN program aims to foster trust, support community organizations, focus enforcement, and measure results—all crucial elements in reclaiming our neighborhoods from the grip of violence.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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