Duane A. Evans, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Brian Ward, aged 30, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe on January 16, 2025.
Court documents reveal that Ward was arrested on January 7, 2024, by the New Orleans Police Department following an altercation with another man on Bourbon Street. During the incident, Ward reportedly used a firearm to shoot at the individual. Law enforcement officials later recovered a Taurus Model PTl40 G2 .40 caliber pistol near a van where Ward had hidden it, along with a spent shell casing matching the gun.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched an enhanced strategy for PSN focusing on community trust and legitimacy, support for violence prevention organizations, strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives alongside the New Orleans Police Department in this case. The prosecution is overseen by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman from the General Crimes Unit.
