Houston Man Sentenced for Weapons Violation

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KENTRELL WASHINGTON, age 29, a resident of Houston, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U. S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to over six years (77 months) in prison for illegally possessing a firearm in New Orleans, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Vance ordered that WASHINGTON be placed on 3 years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of his supervised release.

According to court documents on February 24, 2010, WASHINGTON pled guilty admitting that he was in possession of a loaded 9mm Beretta semi-automatic pistol near the corner of Phillip St. and Claiborne Ave. in New Orleans.

According to the factual basis, on June 16, 2009, NOPD detectives were on patrol when they observed a white Ford truck speeding on Phillip St. in New Orleans. The detectives pulled the truck over on Claiborne Ave. The detectives noticed that the three occupants were moving around erratically inside the truck. The detectives had each of the occupants step out of the truck and, as they stepped out, detectives noticed, in plain view, a plastic bag on the back passenger seat containing what appeared to be marijuana. After the marijuana was retrieved, detectives also noticed the barrel of a gun protruding from underneath the driver's seat on the backseat floorboard. As detectives retrieved the gun, a loaded 9 mm Beretta semi-automatic pistol, WASHINGTON, who had been the sole passenger in the back seat area, stated to the officers "That gun and weed is mine." WASHINGTON was then arrested. WASHINGTON had been convicted in June 2006 for the manufacture/delivery of a controlled dangerous substance in Houston, Texas and as a convicted felon, WASHINGTON was precluded from legally possessing any firearms.

The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department along with agents from the Federal ATF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters.