A 22-year-old New Orleans man, Tieron Price, has entered a guilty plea on multiple charges, including drug trafficking and the unlawful possession of two machine guns, this development coming from a U.S. Attorney’s Office press release dated February 6th, 2025. As reported by the Department of Justice, Price's confrontation with the law started with a stolen vehicle chase in May 2023, followed by his subsequent arrest, and a later search of his residence that uncovered firearms and narcotics.
Digging into the details, on May 22, 2023, Price decided to flee from Louisiana State Police troopers, leading them on what could only be described as a dangerous escapade through New Orleans Streets, this encounter eventually reaching a crescendo when Price crashed into a stationary vehicle at a red light, after which he attempted to flee on foot; he was captured along with the other two occupants in the stolen vehicle, which harbored a fully-automatic machine gun. Fast forward to January 19, 2024, NOPD detectives, executing a search warrant at Price’s dwelling, turned up a problem: another machine gun and evidence of intent to distribute tapentadol pills – and let's not forget the find of over $6,000 in cash.
In the courtroom, presided over by U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion, Price admitted to his deeds on February 4, 2025, confirming he played the role they accused him of. The consequences are stark – with Price facing prison time that could span his youth and middle age for possession of those machine guns he faces up to 10 years, for the drug trafficking it's up to 20 years, and then there's the little cherry on top, a minimum of five more due to firearm possession directly tied to his drug business, and yes these sentences will layer, one after the other, made clear in the Department of Justice press release.
This case isn't just about drugs and guns in isolation, it's part of something larger, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – a collective push to reduce violent crime, where federal, state, and local law enforcement collaborate to address violent crime, with the ever-important bolstering from community organizations dedicated to preventing violence, and setting precise enforcement strategies for better outcomes this being part of a violent crime reduction strategy announced by the Department on May 26, 2021, that also includes encouraging trust and legitimacy within communities. Price's case was the product of teamwork – by the FBI, ATF, Louisiana State Police, and the NOPD, wrapped up neatly by the prosecution through the handiwork of Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit – as outlined in the Department of Justice release.
