NORTHAMPTON, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — A jury in Hampshire Superior Court has convicted a 38-year-old man on multiple firearms and drug trafficking charges following a traffic stop that uncovered a loaded firearm and significant quantities of cocaine and fentanyl.
The trial stemmed from an incident that occurred on November 28, 2023, when Michael Ruiz was stopped and arrested by a Massachusetts State Police trooper while driving northbound on Route 202 in Pelham with a suspended license.
From the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office:
Man Convicted After Pelham Traffic Stop Leads to Gun, Cocaine and Fentanyl Seizure
NORTHAMPTON — A jury in Hampshire Superior Court has convicted a 38-year-old man on multiple firearms and drug trafficking charges following a traffic stop that uncovered a loaded firearm and significant quantities of cocaine and fentanyl.
The trial stemmed from an incident that occurred on November 28, 2023, when Michael Ruiz was stopped and arrested by a Massachusetts State Police trooper while driving northbound on Route 202 in Pelham with a suspended license.
During an inventory search of the vehicle, troopers located a locked backpack on the rear floor of the car, partially tucked underneath the front passenger seat. Upon opening the backpack, police discovered a loaded large-capacity semiautomatic .40 caliber Glock firearm, approximately 219 grams of cocaine, 450 bags of fentanyl totaling 12.52 grams, and a digital scale.
In May 2024, the defendant was indicted on the following charges:
• Unlawful possession of a firearm
• Unlawful possession of ammunition
• Unlawful possession of a loaded firearm
• Unlawful possession of a high-capacity firearm
• Unlawful possession of a high-capacity firearm during the commission of a felony
• Trafficking in 200 or more grams of cocaine
• Trafficking in 10 or more grams of fentanyl
Judge Jeffrey Trapani presided over the Hampshire Superior Court trial with First Assistant District Attorney Steven E. Gagne representing the Commonwealth and Attorney Joe Smith of Springfield representing Ruiz. The trial began January 15, 2026, and concluded with closing arguments on January 21, 2026. After roughly four hours of jury deliberations, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts except the charge of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, which was dismissed by the court.
Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date. As a result of the convictions, Ruiz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years on the cocaine trafficking charge. He may also face a mandatory minimum sentence of up to 15 years on the firearm charge due to his prior criminal history.
