A hail of gunfire at the Jung Hotel on Canal Street in December 2020 has finally led to a guilty plea from one of the alleged shooters. Malik Fernandez, 23, of New Orleans, admitted to federal charges stemming from the violent incident, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The shootout was the latest eruption in a wider network of drug trafficking and gun violence plaguing the city.
Fernandez pled guilty on January 24, 2023, to four separate counts, laid out in indictments handed down earlier this year against nine individuals. He confessed to conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Count 1), using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime (Count 2), conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana (Count 3), and illegally maintaining a drug involved premises (Count 4). The Jung Hotel, once a grand landmark, has become a known haunt for illegal activity.
The feds are throwing the book at Fernandez. Count 1 carries a potential 20-year sentence, plus up to 3 years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. But the real heat comes with Count 2: a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and a maximum of life in prison, plus 5 years supervised release and another $250,000 fine. Critically, that sentence must be served consecutively to any other punishment handed down in the case. Add to that up to 5 years for the marijuana conspiracy and another 20 years for maintaining a drug house, and Fernandez is looking at a very long stretch.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maurice Landrieu and Elizabeth Privitera are prosecuting the case, which is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” initiative. The program, predictably, aims to reduce violent crime by bringing together law enforcement at all levels. The DOJ launched a renewed push for PSN in May 2021, focusing on community trust, preventative measures, targeted enforcement, and measurable results. Whether this translates to actual improvements on the streets remains to be seen.
The investigation was a joint effort between the New Orleans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Fernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2023, at which point a federal judge will determine the final length of his incarceration. Each count also carries a $100 special assessment fee – a pittance compared to the potential penalties. The remaining eight individuals indicted in connection with the Jung Hotel shootout still await trial, and could face similar fates.
This case highlights the ongoing struggle to contain the flow of illegal firearms and narcotics through New Orleans. The Jung Hotel incident serves as a stark reminder of the violence that erupts when these two elements collide. While the guilty plea of Malik Fernandez is a step forward, it’s just one piece of a much larger, more complex puzzle. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the ongoing efforts to clean up the city’s streets.
Related Federal Cases
- Laquentin Brown, Sex Trafficking Conspiracy, New Orleans LA, 2023 · Illinois
- Juan Francisco Saenz-Tamez, Texas Drug Trafficking, Beaumont TX, 2023 · Louisiana
- Michael John Pereira, Possession of a Firearm in a Drug Trafficking… · Louisiana
- Myron Chevelle Hart, Violent Drug Trafficking, LA 2023 · Washington
- Austin, Cocaine and Gun Trafficking, Marrero LA, 2023 · Louisiana
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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