Chapman Lane man convicted of illegal gun, ammunition

A New Orleans, St Michael man has been found guilty in a judge-only trial of having an unlicensed revolver and three rounds of ammunition, after police executed a search warrant at a house where he was staying. 

Henry Depeiza Lewis was convicted of having a .32 Smith and Wesson long-rifled calibre revolver and three rounds of .32 ammunition on September 6, 2022, in the No. 5A Supreme Court before Justice Christopher Birch.  

Principal State Counsel Romario Straker, State Counsel Maya Kellman and State Counsel Eleazar Williams prosecuted the case in which Lewis represented himself.  

It was the State’s case that a search warrant was executed at a house during which the gun and ammunition were found in a pair of pants in the room Lewis was occupying.  

Lewis in his defence said he was sleeping in a house on Chapman Lane when he woke up to see around 20 officers in his face with firearms.  

He said he told them it was not his house, that he only went there to sleep and that they would have to give the warrant to the owner.  

Lewis stated that the police continued searching and that he was taken to the police station and interviewed and told them that he had no knowledge of any gun being in the house after he was shown a firearm.  

Justice Birch ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case until June 19.

(JB)