NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - U.S. Duane A. Evans announced that KENDALL BARNES, age 25, of New Orleans, was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2); possession with the intent to distribute heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and obstruction of justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1503(1) and 2.
According to court documents, on or about Feb. 19, 2018, BARNES placed a recorded jail call directing another individual to move a firearm and ten bags of heroin from a hidden location.
U.S. District Judge Greg. G. Guidry sentenced BARNES to serve eleven (11) years and nine (9) months in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release. Judge Guidry also imposed a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Violent Crimes Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni is in charge of the prosecution.
