A Flushing man was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for selling narcotics and a loaded firearm to an undercover officer in 2021, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Renshan Lin, 37, of Union Street, pleaded guilty in September to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a weapon before Queens Supreme Court Justice Jerry Iannece. While he was awaiting sentencing, Lin was re-arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon for having another loaded firearm in his backpack. He pleaded guilty to that charge in November 2021.
According to the charges, on Feb. 12, 2021, Lin 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 1, 2021, and a week later he sold the undercover detective a loaded .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol with a defaced serial number, along with eight rounds of ammo.
Lin was taken into custody on May 25, 2021, by law enforcement officials in Flushing, at which point an additional .917 ounces of methamphetamine were recovered from him. On Sept. 28, 2022, Lin was found in possession of a loaded .22 Baretta pistol stored in his backpack at the time of his arrest on a separate charge.
“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,” Katz said. “This defendant, who sold highly addictive methamphetamine and a loaded gun on our streets, will now suffer the consequences for his criminal actions.”
Justice Iannece on Feb. 7 sentenced Lin to 7 1/2 years in prison, to be followed by four years’ post-release supervision. On Saturday, Feb. 11, Queens Supreme Court Justice Mary Berjano sentenced Lin to an additional 1 ⅓ to four years in prison, to run concurrently with the earlier sentence.