Tieron Price, a 22-year-old from New Orleans, pled guilty on February 4, 2025, to several charges including two counts of possessing a machinegun and possession with intent to distribute tapentadol. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion.
Court documents reveal that on May 22, 2023, Price led Louisiana State Police troopers on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle through New Orleans. The pursuit ended when Price collided with another car at a red light. He and two other occupants attempted to flee but were apprehended shortly after. A backpack carried by one of the occupants contained a Glock Model 17 pistol modified into a fully-automatic machinegun.
Following his arrest and subsequent release on bond, New Orleans Police executed a search warrant at Price's residence on January 19, 2024. Officers discovered another modified firearm along with over $6,000 in cash and 95 tapentadol pills intended for distribution.
Price faces severe penalties for his crimes. Each conviction for possessing a machinegun carries up to ten years in prison and fines up to $250,000. His drug trafficking conviction could result in up to twenty years imprisonment and fines reaching $1 million. Additionally, he faces mandatory consecutive sentencing for possessing a firearm during drug trafficking activities.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through community collaboration and strategic law enforcement efforts.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Louisiana State Police, and New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman is prosecuting the case as part of the Violent Crime Unit.