U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Maurice Florant, a 34-year-old former resident of New Orleans, has been sentenced to 180 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier. Florant pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The sentence represents the maximum statutory penalty for this offense. Additionally, Judge Barbier ordered Florant to serve three years of supervised release following his imprisonment and imposed a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Court documents indicate that on September 5, 2022, Florant and an unidentified individual were captured on home video shooting at two people with pistols while driving a stolen vehicle in New Orleans. Four days later, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputies spotted Florant in another stolen vehicle. When deputies attempted to stop him, he fled, leading to a high-speed chase that concluded when he crashed into an air conditioning unit at an apartment complex. Although Florant initially escaped on foot, he was eventually apprehended.
Authorities recovered two firearms from the stolen car: a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15 .556 caliber pistol and a CZ Scorpion Model EVO 3 S1 nine-millimeter pistol. Ballistic tests confirmed that shell casings found at the shooting scene matched those from the weapons found in the vehicle driven by Florant.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and the New Orleans Police Department in their investigation.
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. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy under PSN focusing on building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
United States Attorney Evans commended the efforts of all involved agencies in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller handled the prosecution.