Slidell Man Pleads Guilty To Violating The Federal Gun Control Act

NEW ORLEANS - RAYMOND BAYONA, age 32, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty on September 15, 2022 before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to a one-count indictment charging him with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, on March 2, 2022, detectives with the Slidell Police Department observed BAYONA on foot carrying a small red backpack near a gas station located on Robert Boulevard in Slidell. BAYONA had an active felony warrant for theft of a motor vehicle issued by the Slidell Police Department. After BAYONA entered the gas station parking lot, detectives followed him into the parking lot and requested that BAYONA stop. BAYONA then ran inside the gas station, followed by the detectives. The detectives were directed to the back of the store and located BAYONA hiding in a closet. The detectives located BAYONA's red backpack in a corner near where BAYONA was hiding. Inside the backpack, BAYONA had a loaded Taurus nine-millimeter handgun. Prior to this, BAYONA knew that he had been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

BAYONA faces a maximum term of (10) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department, the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office, and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Irene González are in charge of the prosecution.

###