MONROE, La. - After reaching a plea deal this morning before trial was scheduled to begin, Derrick Curry, 39, of Monroe, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.
Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s deputies observed Curry on July 12, 2018, on a bicycle violating traffic laws by traveling down a street against the flow of oncoming traffic and without a functioning rear light. When the deputies attempted to make contact with him, Curry jumped off of his bike and started to run, while throwing an object in the air that he had pulled from his waistband. When the deputies caught up to Curry, they found him wearing a black nylon gun holster attached to his belt and found a Taurus, Model: PT-92 AF, 9 mm-caliber pistol, loaded with 16 rounds of 9 mm bullets, 10 feet from where he was taken into custody.
Under federal law, a felon is not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition. At the time of his arrest on July 12, 2018, Curry, who was previously convicted of armed robbery on May 9, 1990, knew that he was prohibited from possessing the firearm and ammunition.
Curry faces 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Doughty set the sentencing date for November 7, 2019.
The ATF and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
