A New Orleans man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges after being apprehended by police in the Hollygrove neighborhood last year. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Roy Hilton, 26, entered a guilty plea on September 10, 2025, to two counts: possession of a machine gun and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on August 20, 2024, officers from the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) were conducting surveillance in Hollygrove when they observed Hilton meeting with individuals suspected of gang activity who were armed. Hilton was seen carrying two firearms with extended magazines in his waistband. When police approached, Hilton fled and discarded one of the firearms before being apprehended by officers. The discarded weapon was later found to contain a machine gun conversion device known as a “Glock switch,” which turns a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon.
Federal law bars convicted felons from possessing firearms. Hilton had previously been convicted in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court for possession of cocaine.
Hilton is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan on January 15, 2026.
“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results,” according to the press release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked with NOPD on this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed is prosecuting the case for the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
