ST. GEORGE, Utah — A Nevada man has been sentenced to 92 months of imprisonment for drug trafficking following his arrest in Utah in 2023. According to prosecutors, he was caught with around 30,000 fentanyl pills during a traffic stop.
Christopher Gerard Ruiz, 42, of Las Vegas, was sentenced on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute in March. Following his release, Ruiz will have to undergo three years of supervised release.
A co-defendant, 34-year-old Rachel Marie Aponas, was sentenced in 2025 to 28 months' imprisonment with credit for time served. She will also serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on October 26, 2023, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper made a traffic stop on Interstate 15. Troopers say Ruiz was the passenger with Aponas being the driver. Three children ages 10 and under were also in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
Following Aponas's admission to having methamphetamine in the vehicle, law enforcement searched the car. Investigators say they found around 30,000 fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, multiple cell phones, and a digital scale.
Officials say the three children were taken by the Division of Child and Family Services.
