NEW ORLEANS, LA – A New Orleans man with a prior conviction is headed to federal prison after being caught with a loaded handgun following a September 2021 car crash. Oronde Gabriel, 39, was sentenced Thursday to 30 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon.
Gabriel pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, a violation of federal law. According to court documents, officers responding to the crash discovered a fully loaded Taurus Model G2C, nine-millimeter handgun, complete with an extended high-capacity magazine, in Gabriel’s possession. The discovery immediately flagged Gabriel, due to his prior criminal history.
That history includes a previous conviction for conspiracy to make false and fictitious statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm – a charge levied in the same U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. This wasn’t a first offense when it came to firearms, and the court clearly took that into account during sentencing.
Beyond the 30-month prison term, Gabriel will also serve three years of supervised release upon his eventual release. He’s also on the hook for a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, a small price to pay for risking more time behind bars. The case was spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Orleans Levee District Police.
Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit, framed the case as part of “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. PSN, according to the Department of Justice, focuses on fostering trust with communities, supporting violence prevention programs, and strategic enforcement.
While the DOJ touts PSN’s community-building aspects, the reality on the streets of New Orleans is often a different story. Another gun off the street, another felon behind bars – it’s a small victory in a city grappling with a persistent cycle of violence. Whether PSN can truly break that cycle remains to be seen, but for now, Oronde Gabriel won’t be contributing to the problem for the next two and a half years.
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