A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted Marcus Keon Ruffin, 36, of Petersburg, Virginia, on two counts following a trial in the Eastern District of Virginia. The charges, sex trafficking children and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, survived to trial after federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia brought the case under federal statutes targeting commercial sexual exploitation of minors [1]. No case number was publicly reported in the available source material.
The jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts on July 1, 2026 [1]. The conviction on the sex trafficking count reflects federal jurisdiction over child sex trafficking offenses, which carry mandatory minimum sentences and are prosecuted under 18 U.S.C. § 1591. The firearm count arises from Ruffin's status as a convicted felon and is a separate federal offense under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) [1]. No trial testimony or exhibit details were included in the available source material.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled as of the date of the verdict [1]. Federal sex trafficking of a minor carries a statutory mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. The felon-in-possession count carries a maximum of 15 years under the Armed Career Criminal Act if applicable, though applicability here is not confirmed by the source material.
No post-trial motions or appeal filings were reported as of the verdict date [1]. Defense counsel information was not disclosed in publicly available records at the time of publication.