Man found with machinegun on Bourbon Street pleads guilty

NEW ORLEANS ( WGNO ) — A New Orleans man is facing up to 10 years in prison after officers found him with a machinegun in the French Quarter.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, on Oct. 30, 2022, a New Orleans Police Department officer patrolling in the 400 block of Bourbon Street reported seeing a “pistol handle shaped object resembling a concealed firearm” coming from under 21-year-old Xavion Watts’ shirt.

While approaching Watts, officers said he ran away, leading them on a chase before being caught and arrested. As officers searched Watts, they reported finding a Glock Model 17, a nine-millimeter with an automatic switch.

The U.S. attorney’s office notes that the gun was loaded with one live round in the chamber and twenty-one live rounds in the extended magazine.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special said they tested the weapons and found that it operated as a fully automatic gun with the Glock conversion.

On July 17, Watts pled guilty before a district court to a charge of possession of a machinegun.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release and an assessment fee of $100.

Sentencing is set for Oct. 30.

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