CAMDEN, N.J. — A Paterson man has been sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for trafficking firearms and illegal drugs, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

Rahameen Newkirk, 46, was sentenced on July 15, 2026. He previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base, and distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents, undercover law enforcement officers purchased three AR-style rifles, fentanyl, and cocaine base from Newkirk during a lengthy investigation into illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking in Paterson in 2020 and 2021. Newkirk earned thousands of dollars from the illegal transactions.

Newkirk’s previous state convictions for distributing controlled substances qualified him as a “career offender” under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, significantly increasing the potential sentence he faced.

In addition to the eight-year prison term, U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams sentenced Newkirk to three years of supervised release.

The FBI investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Criminal Division.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative that brings together law enforcement agencies and local communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence.