Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Two adults and a teen were arrested following a gun and drug bust in New Orleans on Monday, Sept. 11.
Officials with the New Orleans Police Department said officers were conducting surveillance in the 3000 block of Broadway Street when they noticed a man, identified by NOPD as 20-year-old Rayshad Nolan, allegedly hiding a gun in his waistband.
They said the man then left the scene before officers could conduct a stop.
NOPD officials said officers then spotted another man drop a gun before running from the scene. Officers recovered the dropped gun from the scene.
Through an investigation, NOPD officers said they saw Nolan return to the scene in a car driven by 19-year-old Zyaire Cornelius.
Nolan and Cornelius allegedly went inside a home in the area and walked out with backpacks while attempting to drive away from the scene.
NOPD officials said officers then conducted a traffic stop and reportedly found Nolan in possession of a concealed gun.
They said officers searched his backpack and found packaged amounts of marijuana, prompting them to obtain search warrants for Cornelius’ car and the home they exited from.
Officers searched the home and allegedly witnessed a 16-year-old boy flushing what they believed to be marijuana down a toilet. He was arrested at the scene.
NOPD officials said during the search, officers found nine additional guns of multiple types in a bedroom with ammunition and accessories and two shotguns.
Officers also searched Cornelius’ car and allegedly recovered a gun, individually packaged marijuana and tapentadol tablets.
NOPD officials said two of the 14 guns recovered were reported as stolen.
Nolan faces charges of illegal carrying of a weapon, illegal possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and illegal carrying of a weapon while in possession of narcotics.
Cornelius faces charges of illegal carrying of a weapon while in possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of tapentadol with intent to distribute.
The teenage boy faces nine counts of illegal possession of a firearm by a juvenile, two counts of illegal possession of a stolen firearm, a charge of illegal carrying of a weapon while in possession of narcotics, a charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and a charge of obstruction of justice.
Anyone with additional information about this investigation can call NOPD Second District detectives at (504)-658-6020.
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