A New Orleans man has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to illegal firearm possession, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Roy Hilton, 26, entered his plea on September 10, 2025, admitting to possession of a machine gun and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Hilton is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan on January 15, 2026.
Court documents indicate that the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) was conducting surveillance in the Hollygrove neighborhood on August 20, 2024. Officers observed Hilton meeting with individuals believed to be gang associates who were armed. Hilton himself had two firearms with extended magazines tucked into his waistband. When police approached in their vehicles after observing multiple people with firearms, Hilton fled and discarded one of his weapons before being apprehended by officers. The firearm he abandoned was later found to contain a machine gun conversion device known as a “Glock switch,” which can turn a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machine gun.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. Hilton has a prior conviction for possession of cocaine in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.
“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,” stated Simpson.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives collaborated with NOPD in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed from the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit is prosecuting.
