A New Orleans resident has pleaded guilty to a federal charge related to firearm possession in connection with drug trafficking. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Tyree Rudolph, 22, entered the plea on September 16, 2025, to one count of possessing a firearm to further a drug trafficking crime under Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
Rudolph is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Daryl J. Papillon on December 16, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could receive up to life imprisonment. In addition, he may be subject to up to five years of supervised release, a fine as high as $250,000, and a $100 special assessment fee.
Court documents show that in October 2023, the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating Rudolph due to his ties with members of “M3RE,” a criminal group based in the Magnolia Housing Projects. During their investigation, detectives observed Rudolph advertising the sale of a Draco assault rifle for $800 on social media.
On October 19, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at Rudolph’s residence and found several items including over 75 grams of fentanyl split between two bags, $724 in cash, thirty-four counterfeit $100 bills, multiple firearms—including two Glock handguns and a Romarm/Cugir Draco pistol—with live ammunition, a Glock switch machinegun conversion device, various rounds of ammunition and gun parts.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and community organizations. The Department strengthened this program in May 2021 by emphasizing trust-building within communities, supporting violence prevention groups, focusing enforcement efforts strategically and measuring outcomes.
The case was investigated by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed from the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit is handling prosecution.
