Tieron Price, a 22-year-old resident of New Orleans, was sentenced to 106 months in prison on May 20, 2025. The sentencing was carried out by U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion. In addition to the prison term, Price will serve five years of supervised release and pay a $400 mandatory special assessment fee. Price had previously pled guilty to charges including possession of a machinegun and possession with intent to distribute tapentadol.
Court documents reveal that on May 22, 2023, Price led Louisiana State Police troopers on a seven-minute car chase through New Orleans while driving a stolen vehicle. The pursuit ended when Price collided with another vehicle at a red light. Inside a backpack belonging to one of the other occupants in the car was found a fully-automatic machinegun with Price's DNA on it.
Following his arrest after the car chase, Price was released on bond but later came under investigation for auto theft. On January 19, 2024, New Orleans Police Department detectives executed a search warrant at his residence where they discovered firearms and tapentadol pills intended for distribution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. According to the Department's strategy launched on May 26, 2021, PSN focuses on fostering trust within communities and setting strategic enforcement priorities.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Louisiana State Police, and New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman from the Violent Crime Unit is prosecuting the case.
