NEW ORLEANS, LA – Two New Orleans men are facing serious time behind bars after a federal jury found them guilty of two brazen carjackings in April 2020. Harold Foster, 31, and Marc Dalton, 31, were convicted yesterday, November 8, 2022, following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey. The pair terrorized victims in separate incidents, holding them at gunpoint and briefly kidnapping them before dumping them on the side of the road.
The first incident occurred on April 10, 2020, at the Eastside Cash and Carry on Chef Menteur Highway. Foster and Dalton allegedly approached the driver of a white Chevrolet Equinox and held him at gunpoint with a revolver, forcing him into the vehicle. The victim was driven around for an unknown period before being abandoned. Just two days later, on April 12, 2020, the duo struck again, this time targeting the occupants of a Mercedes C300 on St. Peter Street.
According to trial testimony, Foster and Dalton again brandished a firearm – a semi-automatic Taurus handgun – and kidnapped the two victims inside the Mercedes. This time, however, their spree was cut short. The New Orleans Police Department quickly located the stolen vehicle and initiated a high-speed pursuit on Downman Road, ultimately leading to the arrest of both men.
The jury found Foster and Dalton guilty on two counts of carjacking, violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). They were also convicted on two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). The penalties are steep. Each carjacking conviction carries a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.00, along with supervised release and a mandatory $100.00 assessment fee.
But the firearm charges carry even harsher consequences. The defendants face a mandatory minimum of seven years imprisonment for each count, to be served consecutively with any other sentences. They could receive a life sentence on each of those charges, in addition to another potential $250,000.00 fine, five years of supervised release, and the $100.00 assessment. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans highlighted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office all contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles D. Strauss, David E. Haller, and J. Benjamin Myers are prosecuting the case. Sentencing dates have not yet been announced, but both Foster and Dalton are likely looking at decades in federal prison for their violent actions.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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