Feng Ruan, Cocaine Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2023

Thirteen defendants from across the country have been indicted in a massive cocaine trafficking ring in western Pennsylvania.

A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted 13 individuals on charges of violating federal drug and firearm laws, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The seven-count Indictment follows a two-year investigation into the drug trafficking organization. The Indictment named the following individuals as defendants:

Feng Ruan, 35, Brooklyn, NY

Maoxuan Xia, 30, Flushing, NY

Jhon Canizales-Soto, 32, Miami, FL

Marcos Francisco-Tomas, 34, Riverside, CA

Andres Flores-Cedeno, 39, New Kensington, PA

Eric Vega, 38, Riverside, CA

Manuel Rivera, 43, Coachella, CA

Fernando Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 24, Los Angeles, CA

Julio Flores, 23, Los Angeles, CA

Michael Johnson, 63, Albuquerque, NM

Aaron Mitchell, 48, Pittsburgh, PA

Raymond Simmons, 54, New Kensington, PA

Toriano Wilson, 46, New Kensington, PA

According to the Indictment, from January 2023 to April 2024, Francisco-Tomas, Flores-Cedeno, Vega, Rivera, Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Flores, Johnson, Mitchell, Simmons, and Wilson conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

For Francisco-Tomas, Flores-Cedeno, Vega, Rivera, Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Flores, Johnson, Mitchell, Simmons, and Wilson, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.

The HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Indictment further alleges that, on January 17, 2023, Ruan engaged in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and that, from in and around January 2023 through in and around April 2024, Xia, Canizales-Soto, Francisco-Tomas, Flores-Cedeno, Vega, Rivera, Gonzalez-Gonzalez, and Flores participated in interstate travel or transmission in aid of racketeering.

Finally, the Indictment charges that, on October 5, 2023, Mitchell possessed a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon.

For Ruan, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. For Xia, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

For Canizales-Soto, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. In relation to the firearms charge for Mitchell, the law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Defendant: Feng Ruan

Criminal Charges: Violating federal drug and firearm laws

City and State: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Exact Date: January 17, 2023

Sentence or Outcome: Up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both

Dollar Amounts: Up to $250,000

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