U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Joe Lynn Beattie, a 52-year-old resident of Covington, Louisiana, has pled guilty to a three-count indictment on January 27, 2025. The charges against Beattie include being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, possessing unregistered silencers, and possessing machineguns.
Court records reveal that federal agents discovered Beattie had received unlawfully imported firearm parts from China. Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with officers from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at his residence. The search resulted in the seizure of five firearms, ammunition, sixteen silencers, and five machinegun conversion devices capable of turning firearms into fully automatic weapons.
If convicted on all counts, Beattie faces significant penalties including up to fifteen years imprisonment for Count One and up to ten years each for Counts Two and Three. Additionally, he could face three years of supervised release following imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count. Fines could reach up to $250,000 for Counts One and Three and up to $10,000 for Count Two.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust within communities and supporting organizations that prevent violence. The Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, enhancing PSN's focus on community trust-building and strategic enforcement priorities.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the investigative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri is leading the prosecution.