New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Cars Stolen from Norfolk Southern Railyard Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana Byline: Shane M. Jones Dateline: New Orleans, Louisiana Date: 8 December 2023 Subjects: American Government , Crime

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MATHEW MAYE, age 25, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on December 7, 2023 before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to two counts of possessing goods stolen from an interstate shipment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 659.

According to court documents, on March 29, 2023, MAYE and others stole a 2023 Ford F-150 and 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks, from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility.  The cars were moving as part of an interstate shipment of freight and destined for Ford dealerships in Louisiana and Mississippi when MAYE and his accomplices stole them.  During the following week, MAYE was seen on surveillance video driving the stolen F-150 and riding as a passenger in the stolen Bronco Sport.

As to each count of possessing the stolen cars, MAYE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

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.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department.  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 December 8, 2023