NOLA Gun & Drug Dealer Lovon White Gets 10 Years

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Lovon White, a 22-year-old New Orleans resident, is headed to federal prison for a decade after a brazen scheme to peddle drugs and illegally modified firearms unraveled. U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk handed down the 120-month sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, on July 23, 2025, along with a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.

White previously pleaded guilty to a trio of serious federal charges: possession with the intent to distribute tapentadol and marijuana, violating Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and the particularly dangerous charge of possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2). The case paints a picture of a young man actively exploiting the digital world to fuel a dangerous criminal enterprise.

Court documents reveal White wasn’t hiding his operation. He was brazenly using social media platforms to advertise and sell both narcotics and the devices that transform ordinary handguns into fully-automatic weapons. These “machinegun conversion devices,” as the FBI terms them, effectively turn semi-automatic pistols into illegal machineguns, dramatically increasing their firepower and lethality. The feds weren’t impressed.

In June of 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at White’s residence. The raid yielded a disturbing cache of illegal goods: an Anderson Manufacturing Model AM-15 pistol and a Glock Model 21, .45 caliber pistol, both outfitted with these dangerous machinegun conversion devices. Agents also seized tapentadol and marijuana intended for sale, along with the paraphernalia used in drug trafficking and hundreds of dollars in illicit profits. This wasn’t a hobby; it was a business.

This prosecution falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a broad initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by uniting law enforcement at all levels with the communities they serve. The Department of Justice launched a strengthened PSN strategy in May 2021, focusing on building community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, prioritizing strategic enforcement, and meticulously tracking results. The goal is simple: safer streets.

The FBI led the investigation, and Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit brought the case to court. White’s lengthy sentence serves as a harsh reminder that dealing drugs and illegally modifying firearms will carry severe consequences in the federal system. This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to disrupting criminal networks and removing dangerous weapons from the streets of New Orleans – and beyond.

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