United States Attorney Duane A. Evans has announced the sentencing of Joseph P. Schwartz, IV, a 21-year-old from Marrero, Louisiana. Schwartz was sentenced on December 17, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion for possessing a machine gun in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2). The sentence includes 24 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Court documents reveal that on February 25, 2022, during Mardi Gras celebrations on Bourbon Street, Louisiana State Police troopers observed an altercation involving two males. One participant was identified as Schwartz who had a concealed firearm. When troopers attempted to intervene, Schwartz resisted arrest and fled through the crowd with the weapon in hand. Despite repeated commands from law enforcement to stop, he discarded the firearm in a trash can before being apprehended. The recovered firearm was identified as a Glock Model 23 .40 caliber pistol equipped with a Glock auto-sear modification enabling automatic fire.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department launched a strategy to enhance PSN's effectiveness on May 26, 2021. This strategy focuses on building trust within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence proactively, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Louisiana State Police for their investigative efforts in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James N. Ollinger from the Violent Crime Unit prosecuted the case.