New Orleans Man Guilty of Marijuana Conspiracy and Machinegun Possession

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - BYRON BUTLER ("BUTLER"), age 33, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on October 15, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846, and possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.

BUTLER faces up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, and at least 2 years of supervised release on the marijuana conspiracy count, and up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release on the machinegun count. He also faces a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 on each count.

U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey will sentence BUTLER on January 19, 2027.

According to court documents, beginning in April 2025, BUTLER conspired with another person to sell marijuana in New Orleans, and in August 2025 he advertised marijuana for sale on a social media platform. On August 26, 2025, New Orleans Police Department officers arrested BUTLER and searched his apartment, where they found three firearms and drug-sales paraphernalia. One of the firearms, an AR-style rifle found on the living-room couch, was fitted with a machinegun conversion device that made it fire automatically.

After his arrest, BUTLER admitted that he sold marijuana, earning $500 to $600 a day, and that he bought the rifle and the conversion device "on the streets." He told officers the device would "make it rapid fire." Text messages recovered from his phone showed BUTLER and his co-conspirator coordinating marijuana sales, resupply trips, and profits.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell, I.V. of the Narcotics Unit.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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