South Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Concealing Information About Kidnapping from the FBI

CAMDEN, NJ—A Camden County man today admitted concealing from law enforcement authorities information about a home invasion and kidnapping that led to the death of an Atlantic City woman, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Ronnie Ruffin, 43, of Lindenwold, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court to in information charging him with one count of misprison of a felony.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Ronnie Ruffin was arrested October 18, 2011. Prior to his arrest, he had learned that on March 26, 2011, Nadirah Ruffin (no relation) was the victim of a home invasion and was kidnapped from Atlantic City, New Jersey. Ronnie Ruffin also learned Nadirah Ruffin was driven to Philadelphia, shot, and killed. Her body was found in the Schuylkill River on April 19, 2011. Ronnie Ruffin admitted that before his arrest that he had learned the home invasion and kidnapping of Nadirah Ruffin were orchestrated to retaliate for an assault on another individual.

After Ronnie Ruffin was arrested, he gave a statement to an FBI special agent and a Atlantic City Police Department detective in which he concealed and failed to immediately make known that he knew the identities of the individuals involved in the home invasion and kidnapping.

The charges to which Ronnie Ruffin pleaded guilty carry a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for January 10, 2013.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward; investigators from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor James P. McClain; and detectives from the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Deputy Chief Ernest Jubilee, Commander of the Atlantic City Police Department, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason M. Richardson and Matthew T. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.