SEATTLE – Steven Lopez Ruiz, a 39-year-old Mount Vernon, Washington resident, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for possessing dangerous drugs and guns on two separate occasions, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown on [current date].
Ruiz was first encountered by law enforcement on March 1, 2022, in the driver’s seat of a car that contained fentanyl laced pills, methamphetamine, and two firearms. Just two weeks later, on March 14, 2022, law enforcement stopped a car in which Ruiz was riding. Ruiz attempted to run from police but was apprehended. On that occasion, he possessed over 1,000 fentanyl pills, as well as heroin.
Ruiz was prosecuted along with the car’s driver, Santos Gutierrez-Fosella, and a second passenger, Robert Johnny. Gutierrez-Fosella was held responsible for some 89,000 fentanyl pills in the car and was sentenced to ten years in prison. In January 2023, Robert Johnny was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the case.
In asking for a seven-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman wrote to the court, “Ruiz has committed serious offenses that pose a danger to the public. He has received substantial sentences for prior drug-trafficking and violence, and yet he was not deterred from engaging in the instant offense. He also attempted to flee from law enforcement in this case. Ruiz’s history of drug-trafficking, unlawful firearm possession, and physical violence, and his lack of respect for the law and for law enforcement, require a significant prison sentence in order to achieve deterrence and protect the public.”
The case was investigated by the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Swinomish Police Department, and the Mount Vernon Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman.
Ruiz has been in custody since his arrest on March 14, 2022. The defendant’s prior convictions for drug-related offenses include [no prior convictions mentioned in source].
Steven Lopez Ruiz, 39, of Mount Vernon, Washington, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for possessing fentanyl, heroin, and firearms. The exact criminal charges against Ruiz are not specified in the source.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael Stanley Wright, Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Possession, West Virginia 2021 · Virginia
- Lionel Gardner, Fentanyl and Gun Charges, Connecticut 2020 · Washington
- Randy Texidor, Fentanyl and Gun Offenses, Connecticut 2020 · Washington
- Husham Zeyad Al-Ani, Gun and Drug Crimes, Washington 2020 · District of Columbia
- David Hartwig, Gun and Heroin Possession, Wisconsin 2020 · Wisconsin
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug Trafficking|Violent CrimeDrug Trafficking|Violent CrimeDrug Trafficking|Violent CrimeDrug Trafficking|Violent Crime