BOGALUSA, LA – Jakari Brown, 24, is headed to federal prison for over 13 years after admitting to repeatedly breaking the law and possessing firearms despite being a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry handed down a 160-month sentence – 120 months on one count and 40 months on another – following Brown’s guilty plea.
The case stems from two separate incidents. Court records show that on April 25, 2019, Brown was caught packing a HiPoint JPC, .40 caliber pistol during a shootout near the intersection of Hickory and South Columbia Streets in Bogalusa. The shootout itself raises questions about the environment Brown operates in, but federal prosecutors focused on the illegal possession given his prior criminal history.
Less than three years later, on December 27, 2021, Brown was again found with a firearm – a Smith & Wesson Model SW9VE, nine-millimeter pistol – stashed under the driver’s seat of the vehicle he was operating. The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office initially discovered the weapon, turning the case over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for federal prosecution.
Brown pled guilty to two counts of violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) – the federal statutes prohibiting felons from possessing firearms. In addition to the lengthy prison sentence, Judge Guidry imposed a three-year term of supervised release and a $200 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans touted the case as a win for “Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN),” a federal initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. PSN, according to the Department of Justice, focuses on fostering trust with communities, supporting local organizations, and strategic enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorneys J. Benjamin Myers and Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit handled the prosecution. The ATF and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. While officials frame this as a public safety victory, the underlying issues in Bogalusa that contribute to gun violence remain largely unaddressed, leaving residents vulnerable.
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