NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SIDNEY SIMON, age 37, a resident of New Orleans, was charged on March 4, 2022 in a five-count indictment by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, possessing body armor after being convicted of a violent felony, possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, SIMON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, SIMON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of possessing body armor after being convicted of a violent felony, SIMON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three (3) years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to one (1) year of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana, SIMON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least two (2) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, SIMON faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, to be served consecutively to all other charges, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five (5) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. SIMON must also pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each charge.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Mike Trummel.