Daughter Who Helped Father Sell Heroin And Cocaine In Monroe And Wayne Counties Sentenced To 27 Months In Prison

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 26-year-old woman who admitted to participating in a heroin and cocaine trafficking conspiracy headed by her father in Monroe and Wayne Counties in 2011-2014, was sentenced to 27 months in prison today by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Rubie Cruz, of Tobyhanna, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. Cruz admitted to being responsible for the distribution of more than 80 grams of heroin, which is equivalent to more than 2000 retail bags of heroin.  

Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton in August 2014, as a result of an investigation by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigators from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office, and Pocono Mountain Regional Police. 

Two of Cruz’s siblings, Tiffanyann Cruz, age 22, and Brandon Cruz, age 24, were previously sentenced to prison for their roles in the drug conspiracy.  

Carlos Cruz, the father who was a leader of the conspiracy, was previously sentenced to eight years in prison.

Judge Mannion also ordered Rubie Cruz to serve three years on supervised release following her 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.

# # #