Two Men Sentenced for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On May 11, 2023 United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced GERARD BROWN, age 36, of New Orleans, and EDGARDO RUIZ, age 30, of Los Angeles, California, for violating the Federal Controlled Substances and the Federal Gun Control Acts, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to the court records, BROWN conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute large amounts of heroin and fentanyl.  BROWN also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms after DEA agents found several guns in his house during the execution of a search warrant.  RUIZ, who was incarcerated in California at the time of the offense, pled guilty to two counts of using a communications device to further drug trafficking activity.  He admitted to using a contraband cellphone in jail to arrange drug transactions with BROWN. 

Judge Fallon sentenced BROWN to 10 years in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.  Judge Fallon sentenced RUIZ to eight years imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release.  BROWN and RUIZ were also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $200 each.

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 was investigated by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.