NORTHAMPTON, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – A Springfield man will spend at least the next dozen years in prison after being found guilty on gun and drug-related charges.

Melissa Sippel, spokesperson for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, said 39-year-old Michael Ruiz was convicted on January 21 on several charges including trafficking in 200 or more grams of cocaine, trafficking in 10 or more grams of fentanyl, and various firearm charges.

Ruiz was reportedly pulled over while driving along Route 202 in Pelham in 2003. During the stop, state troopers found a loaded, high-capacity gun and large amounts of narcotics.

On Wednesday, Ruiz was sentenced to 16 to 18 years in state prison, including a 12-year mandatory minimum. Sippel noted that the sentence was enhanced by Ruiz’s status as an “armed career criminal” because he had several prior convictions for crimes of violence and drug dealing, including a 2009 conviction for manslaughter. Ruiz will receive credit for 749 days, the amount of time he has been held while awaiting trial.

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