Sicklerville Man Pleads Guilty in Atlantic City Kidnapping, Slaying

A Sicklerville man on Tuesday pleaded guilty in federal court to lying to the FBI during an investigation into the kidnapping and shooting death of an Atlantic City woman last March, according to U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman.

Henry Ruffin, 41, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony before Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden, admitting he concealed from the FBI what he knew about several people allegedly involved in the home invasion and kidnapping of Nadirah Ruffin, 19 (no relation to Henry Ruffin).

With the guilty plea, Ruffin acknowledged he met with at least one of Nadirah Ruffin's kidnappers both before and after they took the victim to Philadelphia and killed her.

The first meeting occurred in Camden County, possibly in Blackwood, late March 26, 2011, or early March 27, 2011, and the second meeting the morning of March 27, 2011, at a Sicklerville home, according to court records.

Nadirah Ruffin's body was found in Philadelphia on April, 19 2011, after it had been dumped in the Schuylkill River.

Henry Ruffin was arrested by the FBI on Oct. 18, 2011, but did not identify the individuals he believed had kidnapped Nadirah Ruffin. The charge to which he pleaded guilty Tuesday is punishable by maximum potential penalties of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 13.

Shamerria Smith, Aziz Sanders, and Deshawn Hicks, all of Atlantic City, face federal charges of robbery, kidnapping resulting in the victim’s death, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with Nadirah Ruffin's death, the Press of Atlantic City reported last October.

Smith was 24 years old, Sanders 18 and Hicks 19 at the time of their arrests last year.

Henry Ruffin has been identified as a Williamstown, Gloucester County, resident in some media reports. Court records released by Fishman's office Tuesday, however, identify him as a Sicklerville man.