Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison

HAMMOND- Ranferi Cruz-Diaz, 33 years old, of Mexico residing in Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to being an unlawful or illegal alien in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. 

Cruz-Diaz was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on January 31, 2025, Cruz-Diaz pointed a firearm at his roommate’s head while illegally in the country.  He had previously been removed from the United States on two occasions.

“Cruz-Diaz ignored federal law by entering the country illegally, and he ignored it again by acquiring a gun that he was not permitted to have,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor.  “His actions showcase why Congress barred unlawful or illegal aliens like him from possessing firearms.  I thank all the investigators, prosecutors, and support staff who brought him to justice.”

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Hammond Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ambris Saravanan.           

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.