A New Orleans man, identified as Julius Augillard, has pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. On September 26, 2024, Augillard appeared before U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier to face allegations stemming from incidents in 2023 when he was found with firearms on two separate occasions.
Court documents reveal that Augillard was found with a firearm during Mardi Gras celebrations on Bourbon Street on February 20, 2023. While trying to evade law enforcement officers, a brief foot chase ensued, leading to his arrest. Troopers discovered a Smith & Wesson Model SD40VE .40-caliber pistol in his possession. Later, on New Year's Eve of the same year, he was again caught with a firearm, this time an International Model PT609 PRO nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, while trespassing at an apartment complex on Tremé Street. At the time of this second arrest, he had prior convictions that prohibited him from legally carrying a firearm, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The upcoming sentencing for Augillard is scheduled for January 16, 2025. If found guilty on the two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, he could face up to 15 years of imprisonment for each count and a fine of up to $250,000; additionally, he could be placed under supervised release for up to three years after serving his sentence, with an obligatory special assessment fee of $100 mandated for each offense.
This case falls under the scope of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a national initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at reducing violent crime and improving community safety through collaboration between law enforcement at all levels and community-based organizations. On May 26, 2021, the Department enhanced PSN with a strategic approach focused on building trust in communities, preventing violence before it starts, setting clear enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes for effectiveness, as stated in an official press release.
