Jamyren Richard, Gun Violations, Louisiana 2023

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Jamyren Richard, a 23-year-old resident of Raceland, Louisiana, has confessed to federal gun violations, admitting he illegally possessed firearms despite being a convicted felon. The guilty plea, entered before U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe on October 26, 2023, brings Richard one step closer to facing a significant prison sentence.

The case began to unfold on March 26, 2021, when the Harahan Police Department pulled over a vehicle Richard was riding in. A search of the vehicle revealed two loaded firearms, which Richard promptly claimed ownership of. But that wasn’t the end of it. Just over two months later, on June 15, 2021, Richard led the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office on a vehicle pursuit.

During the chase, Richard bolted from the car, clutching a semiautomatic rifle. He ran into a nearby home, belonging to a woman who had no knowledge of his crimes, and stashed the weapon under the mattress in the master bedroom. Richard later admitted to possessing all three firearms, fully aware that his prior felony conviction barred him from legally owning any.

Federal prosecutors are now preparing for sentencing, scheduled for February 29, 2024. Richard faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment for each of the two counts of possession of firearms by a convicted felon – a potential total of 20 years behind bars. He also could be hit with a hefty fine of up to $10,000,000.00, along with up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Harahan Police Department, and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit is handling the prosecution. This case is being touted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program aimed at reducing gun violence.

However, PSN’s effectiveness remains a point of contention amongst community activists, who argue that the program focuses too heavily on punishment and not enough on addressing the root causes of crime. Regardless, the Department of Justice has doubled down on PSN, emphasizing trust-building with communities, support for violence prevention organizations, and strategic enforcement priorities. Whether those priorities translate into safer streets remains to be seen.

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