Manchester Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Fentanyl Trafficking

             CONCORD – Darius Augusto Guzman Ruiz, 30, of Manchester, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley 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 officers, 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 associated with Guzman Ruiz.  Officers seized over $100,000 in cash, over 400 grams of fentanyl, and drug packaging and pressing equipment.            

           Guzman Ruiz previously pleaded guilty on March 3, 2021.  He also forfeited $112,330 and a 2015 Honda CR-V LX which were seized at the time of his arrest.

           Guzman Ruiz faces likely deportation to Dominican Republic after serving his prison sentence.

           “Fentanyl traffickers have caused tremendous harm by selling a lethal product that has harmed countless residents of the Granite State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.  “We continue to work closely with all of our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the drug dealers who are selling fentanyl and other deadly opioids.  As this sentence demonstrates, fentanyl traffickers in New Hampshire will serve lengthy prison sentences for their unlawful and dangerous conduct.”

            “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Guzman Ruiz accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

            “Darius Augusto Guzman Ruiz and his fellow distributors steadily poisoned the parts of Manchester they controlled by dealing deadly drugs,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today’s sentence is indicative of the success that can be attained when agencies combine resources to put drug traffickers out of business and behind bars, as we work together to make our communities safer.”

            This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Manchester Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana MacDonald.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rabuck assisted with forfeiture aspects of this case.

            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.