Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Henry Mitchell, 35, and Jaylan Washington, 30, both from New Orleans, were sentenced on July 22, 2025. United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced them following their guilty pleas to federal drug and gun charges.
Mitchell was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, fentanyl, tapentadol, and tramadol; possession with intent to distribute these substances; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a machine gun. He received a sentence of 151 months for the first three charges and 120 months for the machine gun charge, all running concurrently. He also faces three years of supervised release and must pay $500 in mandatory special assessment fees.
Washington faced similar charges: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and tapentadol, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a machine gun. He was sentenced to 120 months for each charge concurrently with three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $400 in mandatory special assessment fees.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force (TFO) observed Mitchell and Washington selling drugs in the Plum Orchard Neighborhood after receiving citizen complaints. They notified New Orleans Police Department officers who arrested the two men after surrounding the area. A search revealed controlled substances and firearms along with “Glock switches” which convert semiautomatic weapons into fully automatic ones under federal law.
Both men have prior felony convictions related to drug and firearm laws. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime through community trust-building, supporting violence prevention organizations, strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force and New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller from the Narcotics Unit prosecuted the case.
