CONVICTED FELON SENTENCED TO 76 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR GUN CONVICTION

Frank Sneed, age 33, of New Roads, Louisiana, was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson further sentenced Sneed to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearm involved be forfeited.

According to admissions made during his plea, on November 29, 2023, an East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office detective responded to a report of retail theft at a retail store located off Siegen Lane in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While working that investigation, officers observed two men (Man #1 and Man #2), who were unrelated to the initial investigation, entering the store together. After Man #1 was observed hiding items on his person, officers contacted and detained both men. As reflected in the video from the store, Man #2, who was identified as Sneed, did not participate in the theft. However, in conjunction with an officer safety pat down, Sneed told the detective that he had a gun in his jacket. Officers located and removed a Smith and Wesson M&P 45 pistol from Sneed's jacket. At the time of the offense, Sneed knew he had been convicted of a felony and could not possess a firearm.

Sneed was previously convicted of two counts of simple burglary on May 9, 2011, in the 19^th Judicial District Court, and was initially sentenced to two years of probation and later three years in prison after his probation was revoked; simple burglary on October 25, 2011, in the 19^th Judicial District Court, and sentenced to one year in prison to run consecutive to his three-year sentence; two counts of armed robbery on August 3, 2015, in the 19^th Judicial District Court, and sentenced to 10 years in prison; and simple escape on March 22, 2016, in the 12^th Judicial District Court, and sentenced to one year in prison to run consecutive to his 10 year sentence.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office; and U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Anderson is in charge of the prosecution.

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/PSNLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..