Eric Falkins, a 19-year-old resident of New Orleans, has pleaded guilty to charges related to drug trafficking and firearm possession. The plea was entered on May 8, 2025, before Chief U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown. Falkins admitted to conspiracy to distribute and possess marijuana with intent to distribute, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Court documents reveal that Falkins had been involved in selling marijuana in New Orleans since at least 2023. On January 24, 2024, he visited Touro Infirmary hospital carrying a backpack that emitted the odor of marijuana. Inside the backpack were two plastic bags containing distributable quantities of marijuana, 17 sealed pre-packaged bags of marijuana, a sealed bag of marijuana edibles, two digital scales, and a loaded Radical Firearms Model RF-15 pistol.
Falkins faces up to five years in prison for each drug trafficking conviction and fines up to $250,000 along with supervised release for at least two years. For the firearm possession charge related to drug trafficking, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment which must run consecutively with other sentences.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust within communities and supporting community-based organizations. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with Assistant United States Attorney David Berman leading the prosecution.
