Press Release
DEALER SENTENCED FOR SELLING DRUGS, LOADED FIREARM
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Renshan Lin was sentenced on February 7th to 7 ½ years in prison for selling narcotics and a loaded firearm to an undercover officer in 2021. On February 10th, the defendant received an additional 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison, to run concurrently, for possessing a loaded firearm while awaiting sentencing in this case.
District Attorney Katz said: “Let this serve as a warning to all those who think they can deal drugs and sell deadly weapons in Queens: You will be prosecuted. This defendant, who sold highly addictive methamphetamine and a loaded gun on our streets, will now suffer the consequences for his criminal actions.”
Lin, 37, of Union Street in Flushing, Queens, pleaded guilty on September 22 to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. While awaiting sentencing, Lin was re-arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree for having another loaded firearm inside his backpack. He pleaded guilty on November 21.
This past Tuesday, Queens Supreme Court Justice Jerry Iannece sentenced the defendant to 7 ½ years in prison, to be followed by four years post-release supervision. Today, Queens Supreme Court Justice Mary Bejarano sentenced the defendant to an additional 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison, to run concurrent with the earlier sentence.
According to the charges, on February 12, 2021, the defendant sold 27.663 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover detective in exchange for cash. The defendant proceeded to sell the undercover detective an additional 14.043 grams of methamphetamine on March 12, 2021.
Following the narcotic sales, on March 19, 2021, Lin sold the undercover officer a loaded 380 auto caliber, semi-automatic pistol with a defaced serial number, along with eight rounds of ammunition.
The defendant was arrested on May 25, 2021, by law enforcement officials in Flushing, at which point an additional .917 ounces of methamphetamine were recovered from his person.
On September 28, 2022, days after pleading guilty to the charges in the 2021 case, Lin was found in possession of a loaded .22 Beretta pistol stored in his backpack at the time of an arrest on a separate charge.
Assistant District Attorney Richard Martin of the District Attorney’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Mary Lowenburg, Bureau Chief, Catherine Kane, Senior Deputy Bureau Chief, Jonathan Scharf, Deputy Bureau Chief and Kieran Linehan, Supervisor, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of Investigations Gerard Brave.