Orleans Parish Man Sentenced for Violating Federal Gun Control Act (DOJ)

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on December 4, 2025, ELIJAH MARTIN ("MARTIN"), age 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to 57 months of imprisonment, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

According to court documents, on December 16, 2023, an officer with the East Jefferson Parish Levee Police Department found MARTIN, a convicted felon, in possession of a firearm, a Smith & Wesson Model M&P Shield, nine-millimeter pistol, during a traffic stop. On January 25, 2024, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers, again found MARTIN in possession of a firearm, a Glock Model 26, nine-millimeter pistol. MARTIN is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his prior felony convictions.

This case was investigated by the East Jefferson Parish Levee Police Department, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.

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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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