NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - KENDALL THEARD, age 26, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced on October 6, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to time served, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and (b)(1)(D), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
On July 29, 2021, New Orleans Police Officers stopped a vehicle containing three individuals, including THEARD. During this stop, THEARD fled the vehicle but was later apprehended by officers. Upon a search of the vehicle, officers discovered illegal drugs and weapons, including a machine gun.
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. 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.
U. S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.