A Marrero man, Tyrique Richards, aged 28, has been handed a 66-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges of narcotics and weapons offenses. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson confirmed the sentencing, which was handed down by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier on June 10, 2025. According to the United States Department of Justice, in addition to his prison term, Richards must also pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee and will be under supervised release for three years following his imprisonment.
The charges stemmed from an incident on February 27, 2024, when members of the FBI New Orleans Gang Task Force arrested Richards. They reportedly discovered him in possession of marijuana, cocaine, a digital scale, and a Glock firearm. It's part of a larger crackdown on violent crime and gun violence under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies and communities to build safer neighborhoods.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) was revitalized by the Department of Justice on May 26, 2021, introducing a strategic enforcement approach focused on establishing trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, and measuring outcomes.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation leading to Richard's arrest and sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit managed the prosecution.
