Irvin Clark, Felon with Firearm, New Orleans LA, 2023

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Irvin Clark, 47, of New Orleans, is heading to federal prison after being sentenced to seventeen months for illegally possessing a firearm. The sentence, handed down January 18, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, closes a case highlighting the ongoing struggle to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons in a city already drowning in gun violence.

Clark pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). The charge stems from an incident on August 16, 2021, when authorities discovered Clark – already a convicted felon, having served time for manslaughter in 2002 – in possession of a gun. The details of *how* Clark obtained the firearm remain largely obscured, a common issue in these cases where the supply chain is often as murky as the motives.

Beyond the 17-month prison term, Judge Lemelle ordered three years of supervised release following Clark’s incarceration. He was also slapped with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, a paltry sum considering the potential consequences of a felon armed with a firearm in a city like New Orleans. The sentence, while legally mandated, feels soft to some given Clark’s prior violent conviction.

Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy, emphasized that this case is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN). PSN is a broad initiative aiming to unite law enforcement at all levels – local, state, and federal – with community organizations to tackle violent crime and gun violence. It’s a well-intentioned program, but critics argue it’s often more about optics than substantive change.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Orleans Police Department. While the agencies tout the collaborative spirit, the reality is often a complex web of overlapping jurisdictions and bureaucratic hurdles. The ATF’s involvement suggests a focus on tracing the origins of the firearm, but no information on that aspect of the investigation has been released.

Clark’s case is just one drop in the bucket of gun-related crime plaguing New Orleans. While federal convictions like these offer a temporary reprieve, they do little to address the root causes of violence – poverty, lack of opportunity, and a culture of impunity. Until those issues are tackled head-on, sentences like Clark’s will continue to be a revolving door, with felons cycling in and out of the prison system, and the streets remaining unsafe.

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