SCRANTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a man who pleaded guilty to participating in a heroin and cocaine trafficking conspiracy that operated in Monroe and Wayne Counties in 2011-2014, was sentenced to eight years in prison today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy in Scranton.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Carlos Ruben Cruz, age 48, who resided in Wayne and Monroe Counties in Pennsylvania throughout much of the drug conspiracy but was arrested in the state of Florida, previously admitted to overseeing the conspiracy which involved three of his children and the distribution of between 400 and 700 grams of heroin, which is equivalent to between 13,000 and 23,000 retail bags of heroin.
Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton in August 2014, as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office, and Pocono Mountain Regional Police.
Three of Cruz’s children, Rubie Cruz, age 26, Tiffanyann Cruz, age 22, and Brandon Cruz, age 24, have previously pleaded guilty to participating in the drug conspiracy. Brandon Cruz and Tiffanyann Cruz were sentenced to prison terms. Rubie Cruz is awaiting sentencing.
Judge Conaboy also ordered Carlos Cruz to serve three years on supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the heroin initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
# # #
