New Orleans Man Sentenced for Possessing Stolen Car and Drug and Weapons Violations Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana Byline: Shane M. Jones Dateline: New Orleans, Louisiana Date: 8 February 2025 Subjects: American Government , Crime Topic: Ford F-150

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –MERVYN LUCAS (“LUCAS”), age 33, was sentenced on February 6, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to 75 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, along with a $300 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and possession of a car stolen from the Norfolk Southern Railyard, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 659.

According to court documents, law enforcement tracked a brand new, $80,000 Ford F-150 Raptor stolen from the Norfolk Southern Railyard to LUCAS’s residence.  The vehicle had a fraudulent temporary license plate and inside the residence, in an envelope addressed to LUCAS,there was a second fraudulent plate.  Law enforcement also found over 10 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana in LUCAS’s residence that he intended to distribute.  Additionally, they found a Romarm/Cugir Model Micro Draco AK-47-style firearm, loaded with over 40 rounds of ammunition, that LUCAS possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime.

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.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.

Shane M. Jones

Public Information Officer

United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

United States Department of Justice

Updated February 8, 2025