Nicholas Joseph Felix, Illegal Possession of Firearm, Louisiana 2019

A 27-year-old Lafayette man has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for violating federal law by possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Nicholas Joseph Felix was sentenced on March 11, 2019, by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr. to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.

The charges stem from a traffic stop on May 6, 2018, when Lafayette police officers encountered Felix's vehicle and detected the smell of burnt marijuana. During a search of the vehicle, they found a Charter Arms, Model Bulldog, .44 Special revolver in the trunk.

Felix has two prior felony convictions for aggravated battery and obstruction of justice. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

The ATF and Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the violent crime reduction efforts. This program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by identifying the most pressing issues and developing comprehensive solutions.

Felix's case is a prime example of the PSN program in action, focusing enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partnering with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/lafayette-felon-sentenced-illegal-possession-firearm