Habitual Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced To Federal Prison For Possession Of A Firearm By A Convicted Felon

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Ronald Richardson, 40, of Panama City, Florida was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

“Our law enforcement partners play a vital role in fighting crime and protecting the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Due to their tenacious investigation – across three states – this habitual drug trafficker is back where he belongs, behind bars. His incarceration will not only make the community safer, but also illustrate the real and severe consequences for federal firearm offenses.”

In July 2022, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, began an investigation into suspected drug trafficking by the defendant. Investigation determined the defendant traveled multiple times to a storage facility in Panama City, and then travel westbound from Panama City to Pensacola, Florida, and on to Lafayette, Louisiana. The investigation culminated in a search of the storage unit in Panama City, which was rented and used by the defendant. During the search investigators recovered items to manufacture and distribute narcotics, a Ruger LCR .357 revolver loaded with three rounds of ammunition and a safe containing $115,000.  When later arrested in Mobile, Alabama, 264.4 grams of cocaine was seized from the defendant’s vehicle and more than $3,000 from his possession.

“This sentencing is a monumental win for Florida, Louisiana and Texas,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “Thanks to the relentless men and women of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and talented federal prosecutors, this defendant’s days of poisoning our communities with violence and lethal drugs have come to an abrupt halt.”                                      

Richardson’s prison sentence will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.

This case was the result of a collaborative investigation conducted by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven prosecuted the case.

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.

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.