A New Orleans man has been sentenced to 105 months in federal prison for his involvement in a 2022 shooting at a local gas station. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Dantrell McZeal, 34, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion on September 10, 2025. In addition to imprisonment, McZeal will serve three years of supervised release and must pay a $100 special assessment fee.
McZeal pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025, to being a felon in possession of firearms, violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, McZeal and an unidentified individual exchanged gunfire in July 2022 in the parking lot of a New Orleans gas station. During the incident, McZeal was shot in the leg and fired nineteen .223 rifle rounds. The other individual fled the scene by car.
After fleeing the parking lot himself, McZeal lost control of his vehicle and struck a light pole at a nearby intersection. He was seen leaving the vehicle while carrying a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15 semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine. Officers from the New Orleans Police Department later recovered a loaded Glock Model 30GEN4 pistol with an extended magazine from McZeal’s abandoned car.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. McZeal had previous convictions in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court for aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department of Justice strengthened this initiative on May 26, 2021 by focusing on building community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and tracking outcomes (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-launches-violent-crime-reduction-strategy-strengthen-project-safe).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed prosecuted it as part of the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
“Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion sentenced New Orleans resident, DANTRELL MCZEAL (“MCZEAL”), age 34, to 105 months imprisonment, and three years of supervised release following his imprisonment. MCZEAL must also pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.”
“MCZEAL pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025 to being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).”
