A California man charged with bringing heroin into Mississippi has pled guilty.
37-year-old Vincente Manuel Ruiz of Modesto, California pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin on Monday.
The investigation into Ruiz began after agents with the DEA executed a search warrant at an individual’s property in Soso, Mississippi. During the search, agents located over 950 grams of heroin at the residence. The investigation then revealed that the heroin had been supplied by Ruiz. After his arrest, agents located two cell phones that showed an individual had previously sent packages of money to Ruiz in California.
Ruiz pled guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute heroin from August 2017 through December 13, 2017.
Ruiz’s sentencing is scheduled for July 17. He faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine.
The investigation into Ruiz was a joint operation between the the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Ellisville Police Department.
