New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being Felon In Possession of Firearms

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced on March 12, 2025, that AVERY JULIEN (“JULIEN”), age 29, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00, by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long.  JULIEN had previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), on October 29, 2024.

According to court records, on September 14, 2022, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) deputies and New Orleans Police Department officers executed a search warrant at JULIEN’s New Orleans residence after learning that JULIEN may have committed a carjacking in Jefferson Parish.  During the search, two firearms, a Sig Sauer Model P229, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Sig Sauer Model P250, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, were located in JULIEN’s bedroom.  JULIEN’s DNA was located on both firearms.

Federal law prohibits convicted felons, such as JULIEN, from possessing firearms.  In 2018, JULIEN was convicted of felonies in two separate cases in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.  JULIEN knew he had been convicted of these felonies at the time he possessed the firearms.

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.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.