Convicted felon sentenced to 115 months in federal prison for possession of firearms (DOJ)

Marquis Square, age 32, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 115 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of firearms by a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles further sentenced Square to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearms involved be forfeited.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on September 4, 2024, officers with the Baker Police Department were dispatched to Lavey Lane in Baker, Louisiana, in reference to a disturbance possibly involving weapons. Upon arrival, officers encountered Square who was standing near a vehicle and subsequently found and recovered a pump shotgun underneath the vehicle. Once Square was made aware that he was being detained, he resisted officers, didn't comply with their verbal commands, and quickly fled in the vehicle. Officers pursued Square into Baton Rouge where he subsequently crashed his vehicle. Square then continued to run from police until he was captured behind a nearby residence. A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded a black bag on the passenger seat containing a handgun and an extended magazine.

Prior to possessing the firearms, Square was convicted in East Baton Rouge Parish in 2015 for simple robbery and in 2024 for attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and taking contraband to and from penal institutions.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Baker Police Department, and Baton Rouge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Morris, who also serves as Criminal Chief, led the prosecution.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.