NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
JANUARY 23, 2008

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -HAROLD D. ALLEN, III- 28, of Covington, Louisiana, pled guilty today before U. S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to possession of a stolen firearm, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.

ALLEN faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three (3) years supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

According to the factual basis, on August 29, 2007, Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation learned from a credible source that a Rock River model LAR-15, .223 semi-automatic assault rifle, serial number CM 87408 was stolen from a Special Agent's residence. Also, the credible source informed the FBI that an individual by the name of HAROLD D. ALLEN possessed the rifle. FBI Special Agents located ALLEN who admitted that he possessed the stolen assault rifle but several days earlier, sold it to another individual. ALLEN also stated that he originally obtained the firearm from a juvenile. Through investigative leads, the FBI Special Agents were able to locate the stolen assault rifle.

ALLEN will be sentenced on April 30, 2008 at1:30 P.M. He will remain in custody until that time as he has been since his arrest.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Violent Crime Unit. The case is part of Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhood initiative.

# # # #