Bryant Rudd faced a mandatory minimum of five years in prison since he had other drug convictions on his record.
NEWARK -- With several drug-related arrests on his record, Bryant Rudd of East Orange stood before a federal judge Tuesday as he was about to be sentenced to prison and said he had changed.
Sitting just a few feet behind him in the courtroom, he said, were the reasons for his change: his girlfriend and their baby daughter.
Rudd, 27, asked U.S. District Judge Jose Linares to show him leniency, "so I can start a new life.
"I just want to get this over with," he said of his pending prison term.
Linares said he hoped Rudd was turning a page, but noted that his actions have hurt and will continue to hurt the ones he loves.
"They're going to lose you for a while," Linares said of his girlfriend and daughter.
His choices also hurt the community, he said, saying, "Heroin is a disaster drug."
With that, Linares sentenced Rudd to nearly six years in prison for having admitted to conspiring to sell 100 grams or more of heroin.
Rudd was one of five men charged in operating a heroin mill in Newark in 2013.
When police raided the apartment on Broadway in November, 2013, Rudd made a daring and dangerous escape, jumping about 30 feet out a third-floor window. He was arrested in February, 2014.
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In the raid, police found materials for making and storing heroin and more than a kilogram of the drug, according to a criminal complaint.
Rudd pleaded guilty in February and knew he was going to prison. The charge to which he pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence.
Defense attorney Vincent Lapaglia rued the circumstances of Rudd's life, saying that he had to quit high school to help make rent money and then found himself evicted and legally separated from his siblings. The circumstances did not justify Rudd's decision to sell heroin, he said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Kamar agreed Rudd had a rough start, but also said many people have hard lives and yet do not resort to selling drugs. It's important to send a message to the community that selling drugs will result in severe penalties, he added.
Two others of the five charged in the heroin operation have been sentenced. Shakur Billinghurst pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Linares to more than three years in prison. Co-defendant Rassol China, who faced a minimum of 10 years in prison, was sentenced to 22 years.
The remaining two, Lateef Grimsley and Daquwann Walker, have charges pending.
Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.