New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking and Federal Gun Charges
Ken Dooley, 34, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to carjacking and federal gun violations; sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2026.
2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 25, 2026, 5:22 p.m. ET
NEW ORLEANS – On August 12, 2026, U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that Ken Dooley, 34, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to a three-count superseding indictment charging him with carjacking and Federal Gun Control Act violations. Sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk.
According to the announcement, Dooley faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the carjacking count (Count One), a mandatory minimum of five years up to life in prison on the firearm-in-furtherance count (Count Two), and up to 15 years in prison on the felon-in-possession count (Count Three).
Court documents state that on February 25, 2026, Dooley pointed a black semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine at two occupants of a vehicle stopped at a red light, ordered them to exit, and fled in the car. Police later located the vehicle and a matching firearm. Dooley was taken into custody on February 27, 2026, following a traffic stop.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
Earlier reports
Aug 25, 2026, 5:22 p.m. ETFirst report
New Orleans Man Charged in Carjacking and Federal Gun Case
NEW ORLEANS – On August 25, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced that Ken Dooley, 34, of New Orleans, has been charged in a three-count superseding indictment with carjacking and Federal Gun Control Act violations, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The charges are pending, and Dooley has not been tried; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Dooley faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the carjacking count, a mandatory minimum of five years up to life in prison on the firearm possession count, and up to 15 years in prison on the felon-in-possession count. Sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk.
According to court documents, on February 25, 2026, Dooley allegedly pointed a black semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine at two women in a vehicle stopped at a red light, ordered them to exit, and fled in the car. Police later found the vehicle and a matching firearm. Dooley was arrested on February 27, 2026, following a traffic stop.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the New Orleans Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
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Revision history
- Version 125 Aug 2026, 21:25current
First published.
- Version 125 Aug 2026, 21:22current
First published.
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