In a recent development within New Orleans' federal courts, 20-year-old Darvale Williams has pleaded guilty to federal firearm charges. U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle confirmed that Williams, confronting the law at such a young age, admitted his guilt before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo on February 18, 2026, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, as per an announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. This plea stems from an incident back in March 2024, when FBI agents surveilled an apartment complex in the eastern part of the city and became suspicious of a Toyota Camry's activities around the property.
Details from court records reveal that after being surveilled, the Camry, with Williams and another male inside, tried to evade the area but found their exit blocked by FBI agents. In the ensuing attempt to escape, Williams and his accomplice fled on foot. However, law enforcement was quick to apprehend the men. Williams left behind a damning piece of evidence—a stolen Romarm/Cugir Draco 7.62 rifle—on the backseat of the abandoned vehicle. The weapon had been reported stolen almost two years prior, stemming from a home robbery on December 26, 2022.
Judge Milazzo has scheduled the sentencing for May 20, 2026. Williams could be looking at a maximum sentence of ten years in a federal penitentiary, not to mention up to three years of supervised release, potential fines that may reach as high as $250,000, and an obligatory special assessment fee of $100. The outcome of this case will be a clear signal of the repercussions facing those who flout firearm laws, especially those with prior convictions.
This case is not an isolated incident but part of a broader federal program known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Launched in May 2021, the Department of Justice has been focusing on strategic enforcement and community relationship-building to counter violent crime and gun violence. The program encompasses all facets of law and community cooperation with the intent to make neighborhoods safer for everyone. In his statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Courcelle lauded the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Police Department, and the New Orleans District Attorney’s Office in their diligent work on this case, which is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Liz Privitera and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
