Providence gang member sentenced for ammunition possession

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — United States Attorney Zachary Cunha said a Providence man who was a member of a street gang was sentenced to two years in federal prison for possessing ammunition despite a prior conviction.

28-year-old Ryan DaCruz previously pled guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

In May 2023 DaCruz was stopped by police as part of an investigation as he left an apartment in Central Falls.

When police searched him, they found packages of marijuana and several hundred dollars in cash.

A later search of the apartment he was leaving also found a 30-round Glock magazine for use in a 9mm Glock firearm, a clear plastic bag containing 14 rounds of commercially produced 9x19mm ammunition, and a small bag of suspected cocaine.

Cunha said that DaCruz was previously convicted n drug and firearms charges, and has been involved with the East Side gang since 2016.

He was sentenced to serve two years in federal prison followed by two years of federal supervised released.