ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raymond Hardy, 30, of Greenville, Mississippi, who was convicted of dealing firearms without a license, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who handled the case, stated that during the Spring and Summer of 2020, Hardy was a member of a firearms trafficking organization that brought numerous firearms to the Rochester area from Mississippi. The firearms were obtained from licensed firearms retailers and then re-sold at prices well above market value on streets of Rochester. On at least one occasion, Hardy and others unlawfully sold these firearms out of a tent, set up in the back yard of a residence on Jewel Street. On July 3, 2020, Rochester Police Officers executed a search warrant on a vehicle that Hardy, and co-defendants Jahbri Shelton and Hakeem Miller, were riding in. Officers recovered seven firearms, extended magazines, and numerous rounds of ammunition.

Jahbri Shelton and Hakeem Miller were previously convicted and sentenced to serve 12 months and 30 months in prison respectively.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief David Smith.