Providence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Arranging the Sale of a Firearm and Methamphetamine While Incarcerated in Rhode Island State Prison

PROVIDENCE, RI –  A Providence man who continued to direct and run his established drug trafficking business on the streets of Providence, and who attempted to arrange the illegal sale of a firearm he illegally possessed, all while incarcerated at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) on unrelated charges, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Ronald M. Kramer, 39, pleaded guilty on August 16, 2023, to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 78 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release.

At the time of his guilty plea, Kramer admitted to a federal judge that, while confined at the ACI in February 2021, he learned of an individual outside of the prison who might be interested in purchasing a firearm that Kramer illegally possessed and was trying to get rid of. Kramer provided the information to his then-girlfriend, who arranged to meet with the potential buyer to sell him the firearm. Subsequently, at Kramer’s direction, the woman also made two deliveries of methamphetamine pills, totaling more than 244 grams, to the buyer of the firearm.

The person who took possession of the firearm and the drugs was, in fact, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) undercover agent.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.

The matter was investigated by ATF, with the assistance of the Providence Police Department.

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.

United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island State Police, and the Pawtucket, Providence, Cranston, and North Providence Police Departments for their assistance in the investigation of this case.

###