Cortez Johnson, age 42, was indicted on Jan. 9 for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
The indictment alleges that Johnson possessed both a firearm and ammunition after previous convictions for human trafficking in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and aggravated assault on a family member in Harris County, Texas.
If convicted on each count, Johnson faces up to 15 years in prison, fines up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Courcelle said, “the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. The initiative brings together resources from the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration and violent crime through efforts coordinated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is prosecuting.
