Amite Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison for Weapons Violation

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOSEPH LAMBERT, age 32, a resident of Amite, Louisiana, was sentenced today in federal court by U. S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 36 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Barbier ordered that LAMBERT be placed on three (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.

LAMBERT was arrested on January 19, 2012 when he tried to trade two firearms to a confidential informant and an ATF undercover agent for Oxycodone. At the time of his arrest, LAMBERT was prohibited from possessing any firearms in that he was under felony indictment by the District Attorney's Office in Tangipahoa Parish for possession of a controlled dangerous substance and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. In addition, LAMBERT is a convicted felon having pled guilty in 2007, to felony possession with intent to distribute methadone in Tangipahoa Parish and was sentenced to five (5) years active probation. As such, LAMBERT is legally prohibited from possessing or purchasing any firearms.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal ATF, the Louisiana State Police and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters of the Violent Crime Unit.