Honduran National Guilty Of Firearm Possession

According to court documents, an armed robbery occurred on the evening of February 8, 2022, in the 4400 block of N. Dorgenois Street. New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers responded to the scene and began canvassing the area for potential suspects. During their search, officers discovered MEJIA crouching in a patch of overgrown grass near the 2500 block of St. Louis Street. MEJIA, an illegal alien from Honduras, was found in possession of a firearm and arrested. The firearm was a Kel-Tec Model PF-9, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, manufactured by Kel-Tec CNC Industries, Inc. in Florida.

At sentencing, MEJIAfaces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 10, 2025.

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 the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Office of the Inspector General Social Security Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.