MASON CITY – A judge has dismissed all charges against a Mason City man who was stopped at the NIACC campus entrance with numerous illegal drugs.
A traffic stop was conducted at 12th Street NE and College Drive at the NIACC campus on November 30, 2015 at 2:51 AM, apparently due to the driver – 22-year-old Alyssa Marie Sandry of Forest City – not stopping at a stop sign. During the traffic stop and ensuing investigation and search, drugs were found that appeared to be prepped for delivery.
Drugs that were found included: Methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, Tizanidine, Amphetamine, Alprazolam, and Hydromorphone.
The two occupants in the vehicle – Sandry and passenger 28-year-old Ernesto Gregory Ruiz of Mason City – were arrested.
Ruiz was charged with numerous drug crimes. After a not-guilty plea in December, over the following months, Ruiz was scheduled for trial at least 9 times as pre-trial conferences were held. Ruiz was accused of violating his pre-trial release at least once.
Then, on August 31, Judge Colleen Weiland acted on a motion from Ruiz’s lawyer and dismissed all charges against Ruiz. All court costs were assessed to the state.
UPDATE: On June 1, 2016, a one-count drug charge was filed against defendant Ernesto Gregory Ruiz in federal court. On June 10, 2016, Defendant appeared before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Jon S. Scoles and entered a plea of guilty. Later in September, he was sentenced to federal prison with no chance of parole. More detail to follow.
He took a plea with the federal prosecutor to charges of conspiracy to drop the state charges.. He was sentenced on Friday, September, 16th by Judge Linda Reade to 70 months in federal prison. You can look it up on KIMT or pacer.gov. This judge actually did the right thing.. if he were to be prosecuted in the state system he probably would have been given a suspended sentence or if he did have to serve any state time he would have been paroled and released much sooner than the time he will serve in the federal system. He was actually in a relationship and living with me, and no he did not “snitch” on me as I was not involved with his illegal activity. He was already being investigated and was told to expect a federal indictment after this incidence. Regardless of his involvement with the other party, he deserves the time he was given.The mug shot that is posted above is not even connected with this case, it was actually the result of domestic abuse. And he violated his pretrial release because he did not cooperate with the CG County Sheriffs Department. He was sent to Cedar Rapids for sentencing the day our daughter was born. This story and situation is nothing but sad and I hope that this will change his life in a positive way but who knows. I typically do not post on this site and was not going to but I hope this clears up some of the information..
Those drugs are legal if you have a prescription and if their in the bottle with your name on it!
Since when is meth legal?
How is it that everyone else get prison or jail and this guy walks really that judge needs to be gone off the bench
The guy isn’t walking, the local charges were dropped because the guy was found guilty on federal charges. The NIT article fails to mention that key point in favor of trying to make the judge look bad.
Typical of NIT, the National Enquirer of north Iowa.
Great job judge, how will this affect our community. Hope they don’t break in to our neighborhoods, sell drugs to my neighbors or committ a serious crime because guess what? Drugs are illegal. I’d get a more serious charge if I was speeding. What a joke.
Guess what. Four of those drugs that he was found with ARE legal. Don’t worry though. His record seems to indicate this will not be the last scrape with the law he will have to deal with. They don’t incarcerate the smart ones.
would guess the original stop was illeagle. This happens a lot, stop people without cause, and charges should be dropped.
Patrol in our area, loves to fish. Stop everybody, and you may find something.
Ran through a stop sign
Feds took over the case. He got 70 months
Isn’t she up finally for a retention vote this election cycle?
Charges wouldn’t be dropped because he snitched on the girl. They would be dropped if he agreed to inform or give up someone larger in the network.
That’s what I was thinking. Or they didn’t have a reason to search and couldn’t get her on stuff in her car?
And they were dropped for what reason…
Probably because he snitched on his girlfriend and she’s going to take the heat for all of it
Because she is the worst judge in our district.
They were dropped so they could be prosecuted federally. He got 70 months in prison.
Is this true? He was charged and convicted in the federal court? If it is true why have we not heard about it?