A Gastonia man with a history of drug trafficking convictions is heading back to prison for 15 years following his sentence for distributing cocaine base. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina, 45-year-old Kenter O’Neal Ruff will also face six years of supervised release after completing his incarceration.

Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced the sentencing along with officials from the FBI and Gastonia Police Department. In the course of their investigation into local drug trafficking activities, a cooperative individual reportedly made multiple drug purchases from Ruff between October 2020 and April 2021. Having been convicted previously for similar offenses, Ruff was on supervised release at the time of these drug sales, according to statements made in the obtained court documents.

On January 5, 2023, a jury found Ruff guilty on four counts of distributing cocaine base, which led to his recent sentencing. Following the court's decision, Ruff has been placed in federal custody, awaiting transfer to a federal prison facility to serve his term.

This case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation, aimed at dismantling criminal organizations through a multi-agency, prosecutor-led strategy. Information about Ruff's case and the OCDETF program is available for the public at the Justice Department's official website. U.S. Attorney King credited the successful prosecution of the case to the combined efforts of the FBI and Gastonia Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Kent and Steven R. Kaufman, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney William Wiseman, were responsible for prosecuting the case. Wiseman, who typically operates within the state courts, worked on this federal case as part of a partnership between the 26th Prosecutorial District and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.