Lovon White, a 22-year-old resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 23, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to ten years in prison and five years of supervised release. White had previously pleaded guilty to several federal offenses including possession with intent to distribute tapentadol and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a machinegun.
Court documents revealed that White used social media platforms to sell both drugs and devices designed to convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons. In June 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at White’s home where they found two pistols equipped with machinegun conversion devices, quantities of tapentadol and marijuana intended for distribution, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and cash believed to be proceeds from drug sales.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman from the Violent Crime Unit.
“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results,” according to information provided about PSN.
