A New Orleans resident, Darvale Williams, age 20, pleaded guilty on February 18, 2026, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Court records show that in March 2024, FBI agents were conducting surveillance at an apartment complex in New Orleans East when they noticed a suspicious Toyota Camry parked behind the building. When the Camry began to circle the area as if preparing to leave, agents blocked its exit. The occupants, including Williams and another man, left the car and fled on foot but were apprehended soon after by law enforcement. A Romarm/Cugir Draco 7.62 rifle was found on the backseat of the vehicle; this firearm had previously been reported stolen during a home robbery on December 26, 2022.
Judge Milazzo scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2026. Williams could face up to ten years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine as high as $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department of Justice expanded its violent crime reduction strategy for PSN in May 2021 by emphasizing trust within communities, supporting organizations focused on violence prevention, prioritizing strategic enforcement actions, and tracking results.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle acknowledged the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the New Orleans District Attorney’s Office in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Liz Privitera and Sarah Dawkins from the Violent Crime Unit are handling prosecution.
