Brandon Dunn, age 20, pleaded guilty on April 1 before U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to charges related to drug trafficking and possession of a machinegun in New Orleans.
Dunn’s plea concerns his involvement in distributing marijuana and possessing a firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device. The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address violent crime and illegal firearms in the community.
According to court documents, Dunn had been selling marijuana and tapentadol since at least 2023 in the New Orleans area. On May 9, 2024, police officers surveilling his residence observed him arriving in a stolen vehicle. When confronted by officers, Dunn fled on foot and discarded a Glock Model 19 handgun fitted with an extended magazine containing 25 rounds of ammunition. Officers apprehended him after a brief chase and found distributable quantities of marijuana in the car as well as over $1,000 cash on his person. Further search of Dunn’s bedroom revealed additional cash exceeding $15,000, a semi-automatic pistol, credit cards belonging to others, and a washed check.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Dunn will serve eleven-and-a-half years in prison if accepted by the court at sentencing. He also faces supervised release ranging from two years up to life for each count along with potential fines up to $250,000 per count and mandatory special assessment fees.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative involving resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)—aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protecting communities from violent crime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Orleans Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman is prosecuting.
