Daniel Hankton, age 34, was sentenced on April 14 to five years in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to an announcement by United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. The sentencing took place before United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion.
Hankton received a sentence of 60 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. This case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address violent crime and enforce gun laws.
According to the press release, Hankton had been wanted by New Orleans Police Department detectives for an aggravated assault that occurred on February 5, 2025. On March 12, 2025, officers identified him near Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and South Rampart Street with his girlfriend and observed him carrying a concealed handgun. Officers arrested Hankton at the scene and recovered a loaded Glock Model 17 nine-millimeter pistol from his waistband. Investigation revealed that the upper receiver of the firearm had been reported stolen in Jefferson Parish.
Courcelle praised the work of both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in this case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell from the Violent Crime Unit.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime.” Operation Take Back America combines resources from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana serves as chief federal law enforcement officer for Southeast Louisiana according to its official website. The office enforces federal laws, prosecutes criminal cases including those involving firearms offenses like Hankton’s case, defends civil matters on behalf of residents in Southeast Louisiana, handles debt collection for the government, and is appointed by the President with Senate approval according to its official website.
