United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the sentencing of Milton Rayo Castillo, a 26-year-old native of Costa Rica, on January 28, 2025. Castillo was sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy Vitter for illegal possession of a firearm, violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A). He received a sentence of fifty-two months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The indictment stated that on or about March 10, 2024, Castillo was found with a nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol after allegedly brandishing it at a patron in a restaurant in Kenner, Louisiana.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that unites various levels of law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, to strengthen PSN through fostering community trust and legitimacy, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the investigative efforts of the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Kenner Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis from the General Crimes Unit led the prosecution.