CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kenter O’Neal Ruff, 45, of Gastonia, North Carolina, is headed to federal prison for 15 years after being convicted of flooding Gaston County with crack cocaine. U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced the sentencing today, a blow to a repeat offender who clearly didn’t learn from past mistakes.
The feds, alongside the Gastonia Police Department and the FBI, built a solid case against Ruff. Court documents reveal that between October 2020 and April 2021, Ruff repeatedly sold cocaine base to a confidential informant. This wasn’t a first offense; Ruff was already on supervised release from a previous federal drug conviction and had racked up additional state convictions for drug trafficking and possession. A pattern of brazen disregard for the law, and a clear profit motive.
The jury didn’t buy Ruff’s story. On January 5, 2023, they found him guilty on four counts of distribution of cocaine base. The evidence was damning, painting a picture of a local distributor actively peddling poison in the community. This wasn’t some small-time operation; Ruff was a key player in the Gaston County drug trade.
“This sentencing sends a clear message,” stated U.S. Attorney King. While the statement is standard boilerplate, the lengthy sentence speaks for itself. Ruff will be transferred to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility once designated. Six years of supervised release follow the 180-month prison term, a small consolation for the damage he inflicted.
The takedown was part of a larger Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation, a multi-agency effort aimed at dismantling criminal organizations. The OCDETF program focuses on intelligence-driven investigations, and this case is a prime example of its effectiveness. You can find more information about OCDETF at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Kent and Steven R. Kaufman, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman, successfully prosecuted the case. Wiseman, a state prosecutor from the 26th Prosecutorial District assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, brings valuable local knowledge and a collaborative spirit to federal investigations. The partnership between state and federal authorities proved crucial in securing this conviction and keeping Gaston County a little bit safer.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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