A New Orleans man has been sentenced to 105 months in federal prison following a 2022 shooting at a local gas station. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Dantrell McZeal, age 34, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion on September 10, 2025. After his release, McZeal will serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
McZeal pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025, to being a felon in possession of firearms in violation of federal law. Court documents state that in July 2022, McZeal and another unidentified individual exchanged gunfire in the parking lot of a New Orleans gas station. During the incident, McZeal was shot in the leg and fired nineteen .223 rifle rounds. The other person left the scene by car.
After fleeing the scene himself, McZeal lost control of his vehicle and struck a light pole at an intersection nearby. He was seen leaving his vehicle while carrying a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15 semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine. Police later recovered a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine and a bullet chambered from the abandoned vehicle.
Federal law bars convicted felons from possessing firearms. McZeal has prior convictions for aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
"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," said officials.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed prosecuted the case as part of her work with the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
