Darryl Douse, Firearm Possession by Convicted Felon, Louisiana 2019

NEW ORLEANS, LA — Darryl Douse, a 29-year-old New Orleans man also known as “Turkey,” was indicted Friday, May 24, 2019, on federal charges of firearm possession as a convicted felon and distribution of crack cocaine. The two-count indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury, marks the latest blow in a citywide crackdown on violent offenders armed with illegal guns and drugs.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Douse was in possession of a 9mm pistol during the spring of 2019 and distributed cocaine base during the spring of 2018. Both acts violate federal law, with the firearm charge carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The drug charge could land Douse up to 20 years behind bars, a $1,000,000 fine, and no less than three years of post-release supervision.

U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser confirmed the charges Friday, emphasizing that Douse’s alleged actions fall squarely under federal jurisdiction due to prior felony status and interstate implications of drug trafficking. “This is exactly the type of offender Project Safe Neighborhoods was built to target,” Strasser said. “Armed felons dealing crack on our streets fuel cycles of violence that devastate communities.”

The investigation that led to Douse’s indictment was powered in part by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)—a critical tool linking firearms to multiple crime scenes. NIBIN’s ability to rapidly process ballistic evidence helped authorities connect Douse to prior gun-related incidents, accelerating the case and spotlighting the role of technology in dismantling violent crime networks.

Douse’s case exemplifies the federal strategy under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a DOJ-led initiative that focuses law enforcement resources on the most violent offenders while partnering with community-based prevention and reentry programs. The goal: sustained crime reduction through targeted prosecution and local collaboration. With New Orleans long grappling with gun violence, PSN operations have intensified, leveraging intelligence from ATF, DEA, and the New Orleans Police Department.

The prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Haller. Authorities remind the public that an indictment is not a conviction—Darryl Douse is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, however, the combined penalties could keep him behind bars for decades.

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