Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced on March 12, 2025, that Avery Julien, a 29-year-old resident of New Orleans, was sentenced to 37 months in prison. This decision was made by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long. Julien will also serve three years of supervised release and pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Julien had previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms, violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), on October 29, 2024.
Court records indicate that on September 14, 2022, deputies from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and officers from the New Orleans Police Department executed a search warrant at Julien's residence in New Orleans. The search was conducted after authorities learned that Julien might have been involved in a carjacking incident in Jefferson Parish. During the search, two firearms were found in Julien's bedroom: a Sig Sauer Model P229 and a Sig Sauer Model P250, both .40 caliber semi-automatic pistols. DNA evidence linked Julien to both firearms.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. In 2018, Julien was convicted of felonies in two separate cases in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court and was aware of these convictions when he possessed the firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by bringing together various levels of law enforcement and communities. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a strategy to strengthen PSN with core principles focused on fostering community trust and legitimacy, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed from the Violent Crime Unit is prosecuting the case.