A New Orleans man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms charge related to a 2022 shooting in the French Quarter. William Robinson, 40, entered his plea on August 26 before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
Court documents state that Robinson admitted guilt to being a felon in possession of ammunition, which is a violation of federal law under 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). The case stems from an investigation by the New Orleans Police Department into a January 2022 shooting incident captured on surveillance video. Investigators identified Robinson as the shooter, who was seen wearing an LA Dodgers World Series jacket during the incident. Police recovered several nine-millimeter shell casings at the scene.
In February 2022, police executed a search warrant at a residence where Robinson and his co-defendant were staying and found the same jacket seen in the surveillance footage. Official records confirm that Robinson was a convicted felon at the time he possessed and fired the ammunition.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025. Robinson could face up to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine as high as $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community groups. The Department of Justice strengthened this program’s strategy in May 2021 by emphasizing trust-building within communities, supporting organizations focused on violence prevention, prioritizing strategic enforcement actions, and tracking outcomes (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-launches-violent-crime-reduction-strategy-strengthen-project-safe).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson acknowledged the contributions of both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department to this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Privitera and Maurice Landrieu are prosecuting.
