BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Rahshjeem Benson, a/k/a “Six Nine,” 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release. On July 7, 2021, Benson was convicted by a federal jury of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In April 2019, Benson was arrested inside a bar in the Copley area of Boston after he was observed selling cocaine outside the bar and cocaine was recovered from the purchaser. A Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44 SPL caliber revolver loaded with five Smith & Wesson .44 SPL caliber cartridges was found in Benson’s sweatshirt pocket following his arrest. A subsequent investigation revealed that the firearm had been stolen from a car in New Hampshire approximately three weeks prior. Moreover, text messages on Benson’s cell phone revealed that for months prior to his arrest, Benson had been regularly selling drugs including cocaine, heroin and fentanyl from the bar and elsewhere in the Copley area.
Due to prior felony convictions for drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm, Benson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Fred M. Wyshak, III of Mendell’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Making sure victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect.
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