Willie Sylvester, Felon in Possession of Ammunition, Louisiana 2024

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – A 29-year-old New Orleans man has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition, according to a recent guilty plea announced by U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

Willie Sylvester, also known as 'Wooso,' faces up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

The charges stem from an investigation into a shooting that occurred on April 16, 2020, in the 1500 block of Westwood Drive in Jefferson Parish. Deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office (JPSO) responded to the scene and located Sylvester, who was suffering from gunshot wounds to the hand and thigh.

Crime scene technicians collected 37 nine-millimeter casings and a copper jacket from the scene, which were later determined to have been shot from two different weapons. Sylvester was subsequently charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition, a federal offense.

According to court records, Sylvester has been convicted of multiple felonies in the past, including a conviction in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court in 2013 and another conviction in Louisiana's 24th Judicial District Court in 2014. Sylvester knew he had been convicted of these felonies at the time he possessed the ammunition.

Sylvester's case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities. Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown will sentence Sylvester on January 16, 2025.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Public Integrity Unit.

MANDATORY FACTS:

1. Defendant/Respondent Real Full Name: Willie Sylvester

2. Exact Criminal Charges: Being a felon in possession of ammunition (18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2))

3. City and State: New Orleans, Louisiana

4. Exact Date: April 16, 2020 (date of the shooting)

5. Sentence or Outcome: Up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 3 years of supervised release

6. Dollar Amounts: $250,000.00 (fine), $100.00 (special assessment fee)

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/new-orleans-man-guilty-being-felon-possession-ammunition