Ruben Cruz to plead guilty to drug trafficking, shooting Grafton police officer

Hannah Shirley, Grand Forks Herald
·2 min read

Mar. 30—A man accused of shooting and injuring a Grafton police officer last summer has consented to a plea agreement, and will appear in federal court on Wednesday, March 31, for a plea hearing, where a judge will consider whether to accept his plea.

Ruben Joe Cruz, 38, of Bottineau, N.D., is facing up to life in prison for the August shootout that left him and Grafton Police Officer Lucas Campoverde hospitalized.

According to police, GPD officers and a Walsh County Sheriff's Office deputy attempted to apprehend Cruz on a federal drug trafficking warrant out of South Dakota the night of Aug. 14, 2020. Police said Cruz fled on foot, firing multiple rounds at police, striking Campoverde in the chest. Police returned fire, injuring Cruz.

Cruz was later indicted for three drug trafficking charges, including brandishing a weapon in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He was indicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment.

As part of the plea agreement filed in federal court, Cruz has agreed to plead guilty to all five charges and forfeit the firearm and cash seized the night of the shooting.

He faces the possibility of two life sentences, and will serve a minimum 10 years in prison. He could be ordered to pay up to a $15.75 million fine.

The plea agreement recommends Cruz be sentenced to an additional 10 years to be served consecutively with the rest of his sentence for conspiring to sell more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, but also recommended his acceptance of responsibility and his timely notification of his intent to accept a plea agreement both be taken into account during sentencing.

Chief Judge Peter Welte will consider Cruz's plea agreement and his sentence at the plea hearing Wednesday.

Gilbert Garcia Jr. also was identified as a co-defendant in Cruz's case. Garcia pleaded guilty in December 2020 to conspiring to sell methamphetamine. Earlier this month, he was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison and four years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.

Related stories:

— Grafton police officer shot serving warrant released from hospital

— Rushing toward gunshots, heroic acts of Grafton, N.D., nurse on medical leave save a police officer's life

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