A New Orleans man has pled guilty to the possession of ammunition as a convicted felon, a charge that could lead to up to a decade behind bars. According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Willie Sylvester, also known as "Wooso," 29, entered his guilty plea on October 10, 2024, with sentencing scheduled for January 16, 2025.
The case against Sylvester stems from an incident on April 16, 2020, when Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a shooting on Westwood Drive in New Orleans. The deputies found Sylvester himself injured on a canal bank with bullet wounds. Close by, investigators gathered numerous nine-millimeter casings and a copper jacket that were fired from two different weapons, as per court records, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
An ensuing investigation between April and September 2020 by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office noted Sylvester’s own social media posts displaying weapons and acknowledging gunfire exchanges. He even admitted in one post to firing a gun during the shootout prior to being injured. These acknowledgments became pivotal in the case, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Federal law is unequivocal in its prohibition of convicted felons from possessing either firearms or ammunition. Sylvester had previous felony convictions from 2013 and 2014, making his possession of the ammunition illegal. Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown is slated to deliver Sylvester’s sentence next year, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative aimed to reduce violent crime. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, this program is part of a violent crime reduction strategy that emphasizes fostering community trust, supporting violence-prevention organizations, targeted enforcement priorities, and result measurement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with local law enforcement, conducted the investigation leading to Sylvester’s conviction, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Reed of the Public Integrity Unit.
