Keshawn Patton, Amphetamine Trafficking, Louisiana 2024

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – A 25-year-old New Orleans man is behind bars after a federal grand jury indicted him on gun and drug offenses, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Keshawn Patton, 25, a resident of New Orleans, was charged in a three-count indictment for violations of the Federal Gun Control Act and the Federal Controlled Substances Act.

Patton is accused of possessing a quantity of a substance containing a detectable amount of amphetamine with intent to distribute, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.

If convicted of Count 1, Patton faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment fee of $100. If convicted of Count 2, Patton faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, a $250,000 fine, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment fee of $100.

Patton is also charged with possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment fee of $100.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime, and Project Guardian, a signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.

The investigation was conducted by the New Orleans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David Haller is prosecuting the case.

The indictment is merely a charge, and Patton’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser reiterated this point, emphasizing that the indictment is not a conviction.

Related Federal Cases