Description: Baton Rouge, Louisiana criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with interference with commerce by robbery and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
On or about November 17, 2019, Oreall Ruffin, age 25, of Baton Rouge, along with three other masked and armed men, entered the Dollar General store on 4755 Prescott Drive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The four robbers all brandished handguns. In the store, Ruffin walked up to a Dollar General cashier and pointed his handgun at the cashier. Ruffin then jumped over the register and, unlawfully and against their will, took money from the safe while directly in the presence of a Dollar General employee. Ruffin and the other robbers obtained approximately $7,000 from Dollar General.
On or about November 21, 2019, Ruffin and three other individuals approached two employees of the Dollar General store located at 6365 Scenic Hwy as they stood outside the front door getting ready to lock the security gate. All robbers were wearing masks and armed with guns. During the robbery, Ruffin wore a gas mask that had distinctive red markings on it. The robbers, brandishing their guns, forced the two employees to open the door and enter the store. Ruffin ordered an employee to the back of the store while pointing a handgun at him and had the employee turn off an alarm. While in the presence of the robbers, an employee, against her will, removed approximately $1,200 from a safe and provided it to the robbers.
On or about November 22, 2019, Ruffin along with another masked, armed man entered the Family Dollar store located at 3777 North Sherwood Forest Blvd holding and pointing handguns at two Family Dollar employees working near the end of their shift. During the robbery, Ruffin wore a gas mask with distinctive red markings. He ordered an employee to get on the ground and open the safe. The employee opened the safe and handed the money to the robbers. The robbers, unlawfully and against the employees’ will, took approximately $2,416.48 dollars.
U.S. Attorney Ronald Gathe stated, “Crimes such as these have a lasting affect on the victims. No one should be forced at gunpoint to submit to the will of another. I thank all of our local and federal partners for working together and bringing this defendant to justice.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Baton Rouge Police Department with assistance from the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy S. Johnson and M. Patricia Jones.
Outcome: Imprisonment of 121 months to run concurrently with counts three and five, and consecutively with count four. Sentence shall run concurrently with any sentence imposed in 19th JDC. Supervised Release of 3 years to run concurrently. Special assessment of $400. Restitution in the amount of $10,616.48.
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