Crime · U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Kentucky
U.S. Attorney: Statesville man gets 156 months for cocaine conspiracy
October 20, 2026 · Somerset Now, from the agency's release · Posted to Somerset Now Oct 23, 11:54 AM
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According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Luis Ruiz-Mejia, 48, of Statesville, North Carolina, was sentenced on October 19, 2026, to 156 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. The release says the conspiracy ran from about September 30, 2024, to about April 2, 2025, in Harlan County and elsewhere, and that he supplied cocaine to a co-defendant who distributed it in the Harlan County area. According to the release, the DEA conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship prosecuted the case.
From the record: "On Monday, October 19th, 2026, a Statesville, NC, man, Luis Ruiz-Mejia, 48, was sentenced to 156 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine."