Renard Santiago, Drug Trafficking, Louisiana 2025

Renard Santiago, a 19-year-old from New Orleans, has been found guilty of drug trafficking and possessing a machine gun. The conviction comes after he pleaded guilty on February 18, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter.

According to court documents, Santiago was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department for an armed robbery and a separate shooting. During the course of the investigation into his whereabouts, law enforcement officers observed stories on Santiago’s Instagram account showing him in possession of a handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device, posing with large amounts of cash, and advertising the sale of marijuana.

The next day, officers executed a search warrant at Santiago’s residence. Santiago hid in the attic for four hours before he was finally forced out of the house. Inside the attic, officers found Santiago’s handgun, with the machine gun conversion device still attached, a distributable quantity of marijuana, and over $400 in cash.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Santiago will serve 15 years in prison. The Court took Santiago’s guilty plea but deferred its decision on whether to accept or reject the negotiated plea until sentencing. Santiago also faces a term of supervised release of at least two years and up to life.

Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.

The conviction is a major blow to the streets of New Orleans, where crime has been on the rise in recent years. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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