Troy Locke, a 34-year-old resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 15, 2024, by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter for multiple federal drug and firearms violations. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
Court records indicate that undercover agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted several controlled purchases of crack cocaine and firearms from Locke in July and August 2023. These transactions were recorded on camera. During one purchase, Locke had a firearm in his lap; during another transaction, he sold an AR-style rifle to an undercover agent for $1,000. Following these operations, a search warrant executed at Locke's residence revealed two additional firearms, including an assault rifle with an extended magazine.
Locke's prior felony convictions prohibited him from possessing firearms. In total, he sold over 120 grams of crack cocaine to the agents and illegally possessed three different firearms.
Judge Vitter sentenced Locke to 120 months in prison. He will serve 60 months concurrently for Counts 1 through 4 and Counts 6 through 9 and another consecutive 60 months for Count 5. Additionally, Judge Vitter imposed a five-year term of supervised release and ordered Locke to pay a $900 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust within communities and supporting community-based organizations that work to prevent violence. The Department launched this strategy on May 26, 2021.
The investigation was carried out by the ATF. United States Attorney David Haller served as Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator for the prosecution.