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NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RENALDO RUFFIN, age 29, of New Orleans, was indicted by a federal grand jury for violations of the Federal Gun Control Act on November 12, 2021.  The indictment was unsealed on January 24, 2022.  Specifically, RUFFIN was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

According to the indictment, RUFFIN possessed a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun on or about August 30, 2020.  If convicted of this charge, RUFFIN faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.  RUFFIN must also pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Louisiana State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.