CYRIL HOFFMAN, JR., a 27-year-old resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on November 12, 2025, to 12 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges. U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion also ordered Hoffman to pay a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
Hoffman pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana under 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i), and receipt of a firearm while under indictment in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(n) and 924(a)(1)(D).
Court documents show that the FBI executed a search warrant at Hoffman’s residence on August 20, 2021, where agents found marijuana intended for sale and six firearms in his bedroom. The firearms included several semi-automatic pistols and rifles loaded with high-capacity magazines.
Prior to the search warrant, Hoffman had been indicted in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court for six felony offenses, including four counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder. After his arrest on those charges, he was released on bond in June 2022.
On October 25, 2022, while still under indictment and awaiting trial in Orleans Parish, Hoffman was found by United States Marshals Service deputies inside a motel room in New Orleans East with a Glock .40 caliber firearm present. Although he denied ownership at the time, the FBI later obtained messages from Hoffman admitting possession of the gun.
While out on bond, Hoffman continued selling marijuana. On May 17, 2023, another FBI search at his new residence resulted in the seizure of additional marijuana along with digital scales and packaging materials consistent with drug distribution.
“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,” according to the press release. “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.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman prosecuted the case as part of the Violent Crime Unit.
