Source: United States Department of Justice News
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CUONG NGUYEN, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 5, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Barry W. Ashe to ninety-three (93) months of incarceration after pleading guilty to a four-count indictment. Judge Ashe ordered that NGUYEN be placed on supervised release for a term of three (3) years following his release from imprisonment. NGUYEN was also ordered to pay a total mandatory special assessment fee of $400.
Count 1 charged NGUYEN with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D). Count 2 charged NGUYEN with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 3 charged NGUYEN with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Count 4 charged NGUYEN with possession of an unregistered weapon, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861(d) and 5871.
According to public records, on November 30, 2021, NGUYEN was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by the New Orleans Police Department at the intersection of Poland Avenue and North Robertson Street, in New Orleans. Near NGUYEN was a firearm and a backpack. A later search of the backpack led to the recovery of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. The firearm found near NGUYEN was equipped with a vertical fore grip, making it illegal to possesses without registration.
NGUYEN was prohibited from possessing the firearm because he had previously been convicted of simple robbery and possession of a Schedule 2 Controlled Dangerous Substance.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department in this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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