Three arrested after 14 illegal guns were found in Fontainebleau home

via NOPD

Fourteen firearms were seized in the search.

On Monday (Sept. 11), NOPD Second and Sixth District officers arrested three males after finding a large cache of guns and drugs in a Fontainebleau home. Two of the suspects are teenagers.

Rayshad Nolan, 20, Zyaire Cornelius, 19, and a 16-year-old were taken into custody and 14 illegal firearms were confiscated, along with illegal narcotics. The arrests are a result of a surveillance operation by the two Uptown police districts.

Officers in the 3000 block of Broadway Street on Monday observed a man, later identified as Nolan, reportedly concealing a firearm in his waistband. Before police could effect a stop, Nolan left the area. A second unidentified man observed at the scene reportedly dropped a firearm and fled the area on foot. The firearm was confiscated by officers.

As the investigation continued, Nolan returned in a car driven by Cornelius, and both men entered a residence in the block. They later left with backpacks and got into the vehicle.

Officers effected a traffic stop on the vehicle and found Nolan to be in possession of a concealed handgun. A search of Nolan’s backpack revealed individually packaged amounts of marijuana, prompting officers to obtain search warrants on both Cornelius’ vehicle and the residence.

During officers’ warranted search of the residence, they reportedly observed a 16-year-old juvenile male flushing material suspected to be marijuana down a toilet. The juvenile was detained on scene. Further search of the residence revealed nine additional firearms of multiple types in a bedroom, along with ammunition and firearm accessories. Two shotguns were also found during the search of the residence.

via NOPD

Two shotguns and ammunition are among the items found in the home.

The warranted search of Cornelius’ vehicle revealed a firearm and individually packaged marijuana amounts and tapentadol tablets. Two of the 14 firearms confiscated in this arrest had been reported stolen.

The suspects were arrested on the following charges:

- Nolan was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center on one count each of illegal carrying of a weapon, illegal possession of marijuana and carrying a weapon while in possession of narcotics.
- Cornelius was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center on one count each of illegal carrying of a weapon while in possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and of possession of tapentadol with intent to distribute.
- The 16-year-old juvenile suspect was booked into the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center on nine counts of illegal possession of a firearm by a juvenile, on two counts of illegal possession of a stolen firearm, and on one count each of illegal carrying of a weapon while in possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and obstruction of justice.

Cornelius had been in Judge Camille Buras’ courtroom just two weeks ago, on Aug. 23, for a pretrial conference on a separate charge of second-degree cruelty to juveniles, Sheriff’s Office records show.

On Tuesday (Sept. 12), Magistrate Judge Joyce Sallah set Cornelius’ bond at $45,000 and Nolan’s at $25,000. Both suspects remained jailed Thursday.

Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is urged to contact NOPD Second District detectives at 504-658-6020.