Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Mervin Amacker Jr., aged 43, pled guilty to carjacking and being a felon in possession of a firearm on July 8, 2025. These charges stem from a Superseding Bill of Information, with each count carrying potential penalties of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing is scheduled for October 14, 2025.
The incident occurred on March 8, 2023, when Amacker boarded a New Orleans Regional Transit Authority bus at Hayne Boulevard and Lacombe Street in New Orleans East. During the journey near Curran Boulevard and Vincent Road, he produced a firearm and demanded the driver take him to the hospital while threatening violence. The driver complied by speeding through traffic signals.
Upon arrival at the hospital's emergency room entrance ramp, Amacker exited the bus and was admitted after reporting a gunshot wound. A loaded Ruger Model 9E nine-millimeter pistol was found in his possession and secured by hospital security before being handed over to the New Orleans Police Department.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The initiative focuses on building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the New Orleans Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins from the Violent Crime Unit is leading the prosecution.
