New Orleans Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Arson Conspiracy

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - RICKY WILSON ("WILSON"), age 31, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 19, 2026 by United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, for his role in a Conspiracy to Commit Arson, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. to five years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, payment of full victim restitution, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.

Court documents revealed that WILSON purchased a vehicle from a dealership, but later placed three live Molotov cocktails next to vehicles on the dealership's lot, damaging them. He also fired several shots into other vehicles, as well as the dealership's offices. No one was injured during the course of these criminal acts.

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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Former Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller handled the prosecution.