United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Daniel Ignacio Mejia-Castillo, a 32-year-old native of Honduras, pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. The plea was entered on January 7, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown.
The case stems from an incident on February 8, 2022, when New Orleans Police Department officers responded to an armed robbery in the 4400 block of N. Dorgenois Street. During their search for suspects, officers found Mejia crouching in overgrown grass near the 2500 block of St. Louis Street with a firearm in his possession. The weapon was identified as a Kel-Tec Model PF-9 nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.
Mejia faces a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine. He could also receive up to three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing is set for April 10, 2025.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The initiative focuses on building trust within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the efforts of several agencies involved in the investigation: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Office of the Inspector General Social Security Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is overseeing the prosecution.