A New Orleans man has pleaded guilty to federal drug and weapons charges, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Lawrence Watkins, 26, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon on August 21, 2025.
Watkins admitted to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The offenses are violations of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D), as well as Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, the incident occurred on June 22, 2023. Louisiana State Police Troopers and members of the FBI New Orleans Gang Task Force were conducting patrols in the Algiers area when they attempted to stop a suspicious Dodge Durango. The vehicle fled from law enforcement and crashed into a utility pole. Watkins and other occupants ran from the scene but were apprehended by officers.
After Watkins was caught, law enforcement recovered his backpack containing a Century Arms Micro Draco pistol, ammunition, over $1,000 in cash, drug paraphernalia, and quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana.
Watkins faces up to twenty years in prison for the drug trafficking charges along with fines up to $1 million and at least three years of supervised release. For possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison—consecutive to other sentences—a fine up to $250,000 and up to five years of supervised release. Each count carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing is scheduled for November 20, 2025.
"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," said Simpson. "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." More information about Project Safe Neighborhoods can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force and Louisiana State Police. Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger and Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel are prosecuting the case.
