Serial Domestic Abuser Sentenced to More than a Decade in Prison for Possessing Firearms

MINNEAPOLIS – Ronnie Bila Shaka, 44, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 140 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for possessing firearms as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

“Domestic abusers are among the most dangerous offenders we face,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.  “They prey on the very people they should protect and in doing so endanger their victims, police officers, and the community as a whole. When someone shows they are willing to terrorize their own family, they have forfeited their right to walk free. More than a decade in federal prison is exactly what this conduct deserves, and it should serve as a warning: we will not tolerate domestic violence and we will hold these offenders accountable before they can destroy more lives.”

According to court documents, on November 2, 2023, officers were dispatched to Shaka’s residence on a report of a domestic dispute involving a firearm.  Police ultimately had to force entry into the residence, where they located Shaka along with his pregnant girlfriend and her baby.  Shaka threatened the victim with a ghost gun to prevent her from leaving the house.

A later search warrant uncovered five firearms from safes next to Shaka’s bed, along with a large quantity of magazines and ammunition. Two of the firearms were Polymer 80 “ghost guns” without serial numbers that were equipped with machinegun conversion devices (commonly called “switches”) that rendered them fully automatic.  Videos located on Shaka’s cell phone showed him firing the handguns with switches outside the residence, with accompanying texts messages where Shaka bragged about how powerful they were.

Shaka’s criminal history is long and violent.  He has eight prior felony convictions, and six prior convictions for firearms offenses.  His convictions for domestic violence-related offenses date back to when he was 18 years old and include multiple domestic assaults, terroristic threats, and repeated violations of no-contact orders.

Shaka was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 140 months imprisonment before Senior U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson following his guilty plea.  In imposing the sentence, Judge Magnuson emphasized the dangerousness of the weapons that Shaka possessed, noting that guns with “switches” are not possessed for any legitimate purpose: “they’re made to kill people.”  The judge also credited the evidence that Shaka had threatened his girlfriend with a gun on the night of his arrest, remarking that Shaka’s treatment of her was “unconscionable.”

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by ATF and Robbinsdale Police Department, with assistance from the Crystal Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth S. Shnider and William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.