LAFAYETTE, La. – Kentrell Laday, 20, of Carencro, Louisiana was sentenced today for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced Laday to 100 months (12 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Laday was charged in an indictment in July 2021 with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and pleaded guilty to the charge on March 8, 2022. According to information presented to the court, law enforcement officers observed Laday and a known associate of his exit a vehicle parked at a residence in Lafayette, Louisiana. Officers detained Laday and advised him of his Miranda rights. Officers looked inside the vehicle that had been occupied by Laday to ensure no other occupants were in the vehicle and observed a firearm along with a small cellophane bag containing marijuana on the driver’s seat of the vehicle in plain view. A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle and officers seized a loaded Springfield XD-9 handgun with 17 rounds of ammunition. Laday admitted that the marijuana and firearm belonged to him.
On June 8, 2021, Laday pled guilty to domestic abuse battery in Lafayette, Louisiana and because of this conviction, was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Lafayette Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.
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.
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