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NEW ORLEANS – On December 13, 2022, United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced RENALDO RUFFIN, age 30, of New Orleans, to ten years in federal prison on each of two violations of the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

RUFFIN had previously pled guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).  Based on court records, RUFFIN possessed a Glock Model 23, .40 S&W caliber semiautomatic handgun on or about August 30, 2020.  Additionally, RUFFIN possessed 5.56 caliber ammunition on January 24, 2022.

Judge Guidry sentenced RUFFIN to the statutory maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, and ordered that RUFFIN served 3 years of supervised release following his prison sentence.  RUFFIN was also ordered to pay $200 in mandatory special assessment fees.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is being investigated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney David Haller is in charge of the prosecution.