Darren Ruffin, 26, of New Orleans, is staring down a federal indictment for illegally possessing a firearm — a .40 caliber Glock Model 27 — in December 2017. The charge, handed down by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, lands Ruffin in the crosshairs of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the DOJ’s hardline initiative targeting violent offenders with guns.
The indictment makes no bones about Ruffin’s criminal past. According to court records, he was previously convicted of a felony in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. That conviction, under federal law, strips him of the right to possess any firearm — a rule he allegedly ignored when the Glock surfaced in the investigation.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans confirmed the charge, emphasizing that Ruffin now faces up to ten years behind bars, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release if convicted. “An indictment is merely a charge,” Evans said, “but the justice system will demand proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The case was built through a joint operation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the New Orleans Police Department. Their collaboration, under the PSN umbrella, zeroes in on repeat offenders and illegal gun circulation — a top priority since Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated the program in October 2017.
Project Safe Neighborhoods has been a federal bulldog in crime reduction, pooling local, state, and federal resources to choke off violent crime at the source. Ruffin’s arrest is being touted as a textbook PSN win — intercepting a known felon armed and operating in the city.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is leading the prosecution. For now, Ruffin remains in custody as the case moves toward trial, another name in the federal machine grinding through New Orleans’ violent crime pipeline.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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