Man arrested in Jeanerette, charged with possessing machine gun

IBERIA PARISH, La. (KLFY) -- A man was arrested Tuesday in connection with the possession of illegally modified firearms, the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office announced.

Jayden Gerald Hopes faces charges of possession or dealing in unregistered or illegally transferred weapons, and possession of a machine gun, the sheriff's office said in a news release.

Hope is behind held at the Iberia parish Jail on a $750,000 bond.

According to the news release, the arrest is a result of an investigation done by IPSO's Special Investigation Unit. the Louisiana state Police, Homeland security Investigations, Enforcement and Removal Operations and ATF assisted in the investigation, the sheriff's office said.

On Tuesday, a search warrant was executed at a home in the 600 block of Guiberteau Street in Jeanerette, police said.

IPSO said the search warrant was part of an ongoing investigation into the import and distribution of AR-15 "sears" and Glock "switches," which are items that illegally convert semi-automatic firearms into a weapon capable of firing multiple rounds with a single press of a trigger.

"As a result of the search warrant, an AR-15 pistol with an installed sear was recovered, along with several other firearms and various other weapon modification components," the sheriff's office said in the news release.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Latest News