Duane A. Evans, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana
A New Orleans man, Caleb Punch, was sentenced to 180 months in prison following his guilty plea to drug and firearm violations. U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter delivered the sentence on January 30, 2025. Punch, aged 32, had admitted to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms during a drug trafficking offense. Additionally, he was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Judge Vitter sentenced Punch to 120 months for the drug distribution charge and an additional 60 months for the firearms charge, resulting in a total sentence of 15 years. Following his release from prison, Punch will be subject to four years of supervised release and must pay a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
The indictment detailed that search warrants led authorities to find substantial quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and LSD at Punch's residence, alongside firearms including a .22 caliber Bearman Model CL22L and a nine-millimeter Smith and Wesson Model MP9. Due to a prior felony conviction, Punch is prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aiming to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department of Justice launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans commended the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot from the Narcotics Unit is handling the prosecution.
