Lynn landscaper gets 2? years in prison for selling cocaine

SALEM – A Lynn landscaper who admitted peddling cocaine was sentenced to serve two to two and one-half years in state prison and will lose his driving privileges for the next five years.Carlos Ruiz, 34, of 24 Surfside Road, #6, Lynn, made his plea Monday in Salem Superior Court, confessing to a charge of distribution of cocaine.Judge Timothy Q. Feeley adopted the recommendation proposed to the court by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Kirshenbaum and defense lawyer Alan D. Chipman.In May of 2010, police recruited a confidential informant to make contact with Ruiz to purchase cocaine.On May 5, shortly after 5 p.m., the cooperating witness, who was wired, met Ruiz at his home where nearly one ounce of cocaine, about 27 grams, was transacted with $1,200 in marked bills.The transaction was both video and audio recorded by authorities and the cash was marked bills.As part of the deal worked out, Ruiz will serve his sentence simultaneously with a federal term of incarceration he is currently serving on an unrelated drug case.Chipman told Feeley that the negotiations in the case were the result of a “long process,” as he asked the judge to adopt the joint recommendation.The judge credited Ruiz with 287 days served while awaiting trial on the case.