BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — A convicted felon and gang leader from Broward County has been sentenced to 7 1/2 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing guns and taking part in a scheme to smuggle synthetic drugs into jail, according to a Department of Justice news release obtained by Local 10 News on Tuesday.
Authorities said Michael Ridley, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of guns, attempting to obtain contraband while incarcerated and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it.
Prosecutors said Ridley was a leader of the Eastside Gangsta Bloods, or EGB, a group associated with the United Blood Nation…