U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans | U.S. Department of Justice
Varion Rogelio Lobo-Barahona, a 31-year-old native of Honduras, has been sentenced for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long issued the sentence on December 10, 2024, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
Lobo-Barahona received a sentence of time served and three years of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Court documents reveal that on November 23, 2023, Lobo-Barahona was found with a Smith and Wesson handgun while illegally present in the United States. Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputies stopped his vehicle after noticing it lacked a license plate and was being driven recklessly at high speed. Upon inspection, they discovered a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson Model SD40 handgun in his waistband. The firearm had been reported stolen and was manufactured out of state.
Further investigation by federal immigration authorities revealed that Lobo-Barahona is a Honduran citizen who had been deported on July 5, 2013, without permission to return to the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021, focusing on fostering community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the efforts of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice Jr., from the General Crimes Unit, led the prosecution.
