Statesville Man Sentenced to 156 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky announced that Luis Ruiz-Mejia, 48, of Statesville, North Carolina, was sentenced on Monday, October 19, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier to 156 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to his plea agreement, from about September 30, 2024, to about April 2, 2025, in Harlan County, Kentucky, and elsewhere, Ruiz-Mejia conspired with others to distribute cocaine and served as the North Carolina-based source of supply for co-defendant Rey Velasco-Solis. Velasco-Solis traveled to Ruiz-Mejia's home on several occasions to obtain cocaine, then brought it back to the Harlan County area for distribution. The DEA purchased approximately 434 grams of cocaine from Velasco-Solis, all of it supplied by Ruiz-Mejia, and recorded calls captured an agreement to buy an additional kilogram. A search of Ruiz-Mejia's home turned up several guns and additional quantities of cocaine.
Co-defendants Velasco-Solis and Guillermo Pelaez-Santiago were sentenced earlier this year to 60 months and 8 months in federal prison, respectively. The DEA investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Jason Parman and the DEA jointly announced the sentence, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship prosecuted the case.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 London 的联邦大楼与美国法院（资料图），联邦档案照片，公共领域。Photo: Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in London, Kentucky (file photo), public domain.
