Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking

             CONCORD - Darius Augusto Guzman Ruiz, 29, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, in the fall of 2019, Manchester police officers learned from a cooperating individual that Guzman Ruiz was selling between 100 and 300 grams of fentanyl at a time to other distributors in Manchester.  Between October 10, 2019 and November 1, 2019, working with law enforcement, the cooperator conducted four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Guzman Ruiz.  Each transaction involved approximately 180 grams of fentanyl.

            On November 25, 2019, the Manchester Police Department executed search warrants at various residences that Guzman Ruiz used to either reside or store and package drugs.  Officers seized over $100,000 in cash, over 400 grams of fentanyl and drug packaging and pressing equipment. 

            Guzman Ruiz is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4, 2021.

            “Fentanyl is a lethal drug that endangers the well-being of everyone who abuses it,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “It is essential that we stop its distribution by bringing dealers to justice. We prioritize drug prosecutions and work closely with all of our law enforcement partners to ensure that these criminals are prevented from continuing to endanger public health and safety.” 

            This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Manchester Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana MacDonald.

            This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.