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Thursday 16 August 2018
Moss Point Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – Keith Lavell Brown, age 46, of Moss Point, Mississippi, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Brown admitted being involved in a conspiracy to bring cocaine to the Mississippi Gulf Coast from 2015 until August, 2017. The conspiracy involved several trips with multiple kilograms of cocaine. On one occasion, in March of 2016, an individual was stopped in Louisiana and, upon arresting the driver, Louisiana State Police located 15 kilograms of cocaine inside his vehicle. During the DEA and FBI’s investigation, they determined that Brown had conspired with the driver and others to have the cocaine brought from Texas to Mississippi.
After the stop in Louisiana, another individual driving an RV was stopped in Mississippi. During the stop, the RV was searched and law enforcement located 10 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside. During the investigation into the second stop, DEA and FBI agents learned that the 10 kilograms of cocaine were supposed to be delivered to Brown and others in Moss Point. Further information and evidence also showed that the cocaine located in the RV was not the driver’s first time to deliver cocaine to Brown. The driver had previously had a successful delivery of 13 kilograms of cocaine to Brown.
Brown will be sentenced on November 7, 2018 by Judge Guirola, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Louisiana State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk.
Montesano Man who Crashed Head-On into Forks Couple while High on Meth Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
A 51-year-old Montesano, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release for vehicular assault, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. KELLY L. LANDRY, was driving his employer’s work truck while impaired with methamphetamine and marijuana on September 6, 2017, when he crashed head-on into another car on Highway 101 near Lake Crescent. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton said “When drugs come into your life your honesty, integrity and life go out the door.”
According to records filed in the case, LANDRY was driving east on Highway 101 and crossed the centerline, slamming head-on into a Taurus sedan driven by an 80-year-old Forks resident. The driver’s 70-year-old wife was in the passenger seat. Both suffered severe injuries, including a broken ankle, broken nose, fractured ribs, and fractured wrist. LANDRY was also injured in the crash. First responders to the scene found both a meth pipe and a marijuana pipe in the cab of LANDRY’s truck – a vehicle that was owned by his employer. A blood screen taken following the crash showed LANDRY had high levels of methamphetamine and some THC in his blood.
While both victims survived, their lives have been permanently changed because of lasting physical impacts from their injuries. They are no longer able to participate in many of the activities they enjoyed before the crash. An avid gardener, the 70-year-old is no longer able to work in her garden and must use a walker for mobility.
LANDRY had been identified in two prior incidents where he struck parked cars: In July 2016, he struck a parked car in Hoquiam and drove away. In February 2017, he drove his work truck into a parked car in Montesano and drove off. His employer contacted the victim, and Montesano Police were then able to identify LANDRY as the driver.
Because the September 2017 crash occurred on National Park Service land, the case was prosecuted in federal court. At a hearing on November 9, 2018, Judge Leighton will set a restitution amount to pay for the victims medical bills, towing fees and other expenses.
The case was investigated by the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney André M. Peñalver.
Monroe County Man Indicted for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Claude Turner, age 38, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on August 14, 2018, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Turner distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl on May 1, 2018, and cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, tramadol, and ketamine on May 17, 2018, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The indictment alleges that those two violations occurred within 1,000 feet of a playground, a protected place under federal law. The indictment further alleges that Turner possessed with intent to distribute marijuana on May 31, 2018.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Middlesex County Man Charged with Illegally Importing Scorpions and Other WildlifeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Metuchen, New Jersey, man was arrested today for allegedly smuggling shipments of live protected scorpions, giant millipedes and other species that were mislabeled to avoid detection, including one package of millipedes that was labeled as children’s toys, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Wlodzimie Lapkiewicz, 29, is charged by complaint with one count of smuggling wildlife and one count of false labelling of wildlife. He appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was released on $50,000 unsecured bond.
According to the complaint:
Between July 2015 and July 2018, Lapkiewicz repeatedly engaged in the illegal importation and exportation of scorpions, giant millipedes, and other invertebrate species. On multiple occasions, Lapkiewicz imported emperor and dictator scorpions, both of which are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species treaty as protected species.
Postal inspectors learned of Lapkiewicz’s illegal imports after they found live scorpions and giant millipedes that had escaped from a parcel originating from Tanzania while in transit to Lapkiewicz in July 2015.
The investigation revealed that Lapkiewicz participated and assisted others in intentionally mislabeling parcels of live wildlife to avoid detection, including labeling a shipment of multiple live giant millipedes as “Plush Toys for my Friends Child about to be born.” The investigation also revealed that Lapkiewicz used social media to arrange buyers for the scorpions, giant millipedes, and other invertebrates that he illegally imported.
The charge of wildlife smuggling carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of false labelling of wildlife carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Honora Gordon, with the investigation leading to these charges. He also thanked postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Judy Ramos, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Protection Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: David Holman Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Middlesex County Man Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Obtain United States Citizenship by FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Special Agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested a Middlesex County, New Jersey, man this morning for allegedly trying to fraudulently obtain citizenship, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Pal Singh, a/k/a “Surinder Singh,” a/k/a “Harpal Singh,” 66, an Indian national residing in Iselin, New Jersey, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of naturalization fraud and one count of making false statements under oath in connection with naturalization proceedings. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor and was released on $200,000 bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In March 1992, Singh applied for admission into the United States as a tourist at Los Angeles International Airport by presenting an Indian passport that purported to contain an entry visa to the United States. Singh was refused admission into the United States because the entry visa was deemed fraudulent and he was detained pending exclusion proceedings. Singh later applied for asylum in the United States under his true name and was released on bond while his asylum claim was evaluated. In June 1993, an immigration judge in New York denied Singh’s asylum application and Singh was ordered to surrender for deportation. Singh failed to appear for his deportation as ordered.
In August 1995, Singh fraudulently applied for asylum in the United States under the identity of “Harpal Singh,” and claimed that he had entered the United States by crossing the United States-Mexico border in December 1994. Singh did not disclose that he had previously been denied asylum under his true identity – Pal Singh. In March 1996, an immigration judge denied Singh’s second asylum application and Singh was again ordered to surrender for deportation. Singh again failed to appear for his deportation as ordered.
In May 1996, Singh fraudulently applied for asylum in the United States under the identity of “Surinder Singh,” and claimed that he had entered the United States by crossing the United States-Mexico border in November 1995. Singh did not disclose that he had previously been denied asylum under his true identity and under the identity of Harpal Singh. This application further claimed that Surinder Singh had been beaten and tortured in India in 1994 despite the fact that Singh had been living in the United States at the time under his true identity. In June 1996, the Immigration and Naturalization Service granted Singh’s third asylum application in the name of “Surinder Singh” based on fraudulent information provided by Singh.
In December 2015, Singh filed an Application for Naturalization, Form 400-N, with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the identity of Surinder Singh. He falsely answered questions relating to his identity, his prior immigration applications, and his immigration status. In May 2018, Singh appeared under the name of Surinder Singh before an officer of the Department of Homeland Security in Newark for an interview in connection with his application. The interview was audio and video recorded, and Singh was placed under oath. Singh was also assisted by counsel and by a Punjabi interpreter. Singh falsely answered additional questions relating to his identity, his prior immigration applications, and his immigration status.
A qualified fingerprint examiner from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Biometric Support Center compared fingerprints taken of Singh when he initially attempted to enter the United States in March 1992 to fingerprints taken in the names of Harpal Singh and Surinder Singh in connection with the above-described immigration proceedings. The fingerprint examiner concluded that the same individual made all of the fingerprints
The naturalization fraud charge carries a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison. The false statements charge carries a maximum potential sentence of five years imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to the arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro and Thomas Kearney of the U.S Attorney’s Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Adalgiza A. Nunez Esq., Newark
Michigan man sentenced for heroin distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Danzavious Dolphus, of Harper Woods, Michigan, was sentenced today to 84 months incarceration for a drug distribution conviction, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Dolphus, also known as “Dash,” age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin” in March 2018. Dolphus admitted to selling heroin in June 2017 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.Member of Albuquerque-Based Armed Robbery Crew Sentenced to Seven Years for Conviction on Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Gabriel Sanchez, 29, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 84 months in prison for his conviction for using and brandishing a firearm during the robbery of a commercial business engaged in interstate commerce. Sanchez will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Co-defendant Virgal Malott, 23, also of Albuquerque, was charged by criminal complaint on Feb. 18, 2015. According to the complaint, officers of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) arrested Malott on outstanding state felony warrants on Feb. 14, 2015. Thereafter, APD executed a state search warrant at his residence as part of an investigation into a series of armed robberies of Albuquerque-area businesses. During the search, APD found a loaded firearm, which provided the basis for a federal criminal complaint charging Malott with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition that was filed on Feb. 18, 2015, by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In June 2015, Malott was charged in an 11-count indictment with violating the Hobbs Act by robbing seven businesses engaged in interstate commerce, carjacking, using and brandishing a firearm during crimes of violence, and with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleged that Malott committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M., between Dec. 2014 and Jan. 2015.
The indictment was superseded in Aug. 2015, to add two defendants, Sanchez and Paul Lujan, 22, also of Albuquerque, and two more charges. The superseding indictment charged the three men with conspiring to violate the Hobbs Act by robbing businesses engaged in interstate commerce in Jan. 2015, the armed robbery of five Albuquerque-area businesses, and using and brandishing firearms during crimes of violence. It also charged Malott alone with the armed robbery of two additional Albuquerque-area businesses, carjacking, and with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The superseding indictment alleged that the three men committed the crimes in Bernalillo County between Dec. 2014 and Jan. 2015.
On Aug. 2, 2018, Sanchez entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging him with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Sanchez admitted that on Jan. 30, 2015, he brandished a firearm and pointed the firearm at two store clerks during the armed robbery of Loan Max located at 6108 Lomas Blvd., NE in Albuquerque.
On Aug. 17, 2017, Malott entered a guilty plea to three counts of the superseding indictment charging him with the armed robbery of a business engaged in interstate commerce, carjacking, and using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Malott admitted robbing a title loan business located in Albuquerque on Dec. 22, 2014. Malott acknowledged that he was armed when he committed the robbery. He also admitted pointing the firearm at the business’s three employees and that he threatened to kill the employees. Malott admitted committing a carjacking on Jan. 19, 2015, by pointing a firearm at an individual who was at an Albuquerque convenience store and demanding the individual’s wallet and keys. Malott fled from the scene in the individual’s vehicle. Malott was sentenced on Feb. 15, 2018, to 200 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Lujan was arrested on Dec. 3, 2015, after he was transferred from state custody into federal custody. On Aug. 15, 2017, Lujan pled guilty to a felony information charging him with using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Lujan admitted that on June 30, 2015, he acted as the getaway driver during the armed robbery of the Loan Max Title Loan in Albuquerque. Lujan further admitted that he discarded a firearm while running from the police following the armed robbery. Lujan was sentenced on April 11, 2018, to 60 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF and by APD, with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rumaldo A. Armijo and David M. Walsh prosecuted the case.
McKenzie Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – On Tuesday, August 14, 2018, after two days of trial Nathan Adams, 36, pleaded guilty to production and attempted production of child pornography. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty plea today.
The proof presented at trial showed Adams surreptitiously recorded videos of a 13-year-old minor female in various stages of undress, including fully nude. Adams filmed some of the videos from outside the minor’s home filming through a hole in the window blinds. On other occasions, Adams hid the recording device inside the minor’s bedroom or bathroom. Adams was reported to law enforcement after the minor’s mother discovered the recording device and the explicit videos of her daughter.
On the second day of trial, as the videos that Adams recorded were being played for the jury, Adams advised the Court that he wished to plead guilty to the charges against him. Adams faces a mandatory minimum 15 years of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for November 20, 2018 before U.S. District Chief Judge S. Thomas Anderson.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “Production of child pornography victimizes, harms, and exploits vulnerable children in a horrific way, and must be met with significant consequences. Under our Project Safe Childhood initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will bring the full resources of the federal government to bear in order to protect children in the Western District of Tennessee.”
This case was investigated by the McKenzie Police Department, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.goc/psc. For more about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.
This case was investigated by the McKenzie Police Department; Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kasey Weiland and Debra L. Ireland are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Manteca Woman Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison for Unemployment Benefits Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brittany Maunakea, 29, of Manteca, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to two and a half years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud for her role in a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing false unemployment insurance claims, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Maunakea was also ordered to pay $139,071 in restitution.
According to court documents, beginning in February 2015, Maunakea entered a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing false unemployment insurance claims with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), using the stolen identities of over 250 California workers. In total, the conspirators filed at least 269 false claims seeking over $2.5 million in fraudulent benefits. EDD’s actual overpayment was $898,899. Maunakea participated in the scheme by receiving and facilitating EDD documents at her home and using debit cards issued in the names of identity-theft victims to withdraw the fraudulently obtained benefits.
“Ms. Maunakea’s crime victimized citizens whose stolen identities were used in furtherance of her personal enrichment. The Office of Inspector General will continue to make it a priority to work with our law enforcement and state workforce agency partners to protect the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance program and to seek justice on behalf of the victims of these identity theft schemes,” said Abel Salinas, Special Agent-in-Charge, Los Angeles Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Employment Development Department, Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Schuller Hitchcock is prosecuting the case.
Maunakea is the first of five defendants charged in the scheme to be sentenced. Co‑defendant Sergio Reyna has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and is set to be sentenced on September 6, 2018. The charges against co-defendants Pamela Emanuel, Gregory Lee, and Russell White III remain pending. The charges against Emanuel, Lee and White are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lowell Woman Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Participating in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Gayle McNamara, 57, of Lowell, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McNamara was one of eight defendants arrested on October 25, 2016 as part of a large investigation of heroin trafficking activities based in and around Lawrence, Massachusetts. McNamara and some of her co-defendants operated so-called trap houses, which were residences where customers of a drug trafficking organization could meet individuals who were delivering the drug to the customers. Other co-defendants picked up the drugs at the trap houses and sold them in New Hampshire and elsewhere.
On May 4, 2017, McNamara pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin.
“Drug trafficking is causing serious damage to the health and safety of the citizens of the Granite State,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement colleagues to arrest and prosecute those who are responsible for distributing heroin and other deadly drugs.”
“Heroin and fentanyl are causing deaths in record numbers and DEA’s top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes these poisons,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence not only holds Ms. McNamara accountable for her crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic.
This matter was investigated by the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; the Massachusetts State Police; the Haverhill Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the New Hampshire State Police; the Manchester Police Department; the Lawrence Police Department; the Lowell Police Department, the Methuen Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Donald A. Feith prosecuted the case.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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Long Island MS-13 Gang Members Face Additional Racketeering Charges, Including Murder and Attempted MurderRead the Press Release
Five members of La Mara Salvatrucha (also known as MS-13), Ruendy Jhonatan Hernandez-Vasquez, Jhonny Contreras, Reynaldo Lopez-Alvarado, Jeffrey Amador and Ronald Catalan, are scheduled to be arraigned this morning before United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York. The 75-count sixth superseding indictment was unsealed on August 8, 2018 and charges more than two dozen members of MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, with racketeering and related offenses.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Geraldine Hart, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the charges.
The superseding indictment adds one new defendant, Hernandez-Vasquez, in connection with the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo in Freeport, and a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana. The indictment also adds racketeering offenses and related charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering against previously charged defendants Contreras, Lopez-Alvarado and Amador in connection with the November 19, 2015 murder of Cesar Rivera-Vasquez in Babylon, and racketeering offenses against Catalan for a June 23, 2009 shooting in Brentwood. In total, 16 murders committed by MS-13 members have been charged in this superseding indictment and underlying indictments in this case.
In addition, INTERPOL issued a Red Notice for Hernandez-Vasquez relating to an arrest warrant for a murder he allegedly committed in El Salvador before he illegally entered the United States.
“The MS-13’s mission to commit senseless and vicious acts of violence, terrorizing our communities in the process, is evident from the charges announced today,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue our unyielding pursuit to ensure that all members of this brutal gang are held accountable for every crime they have committed and that neighborhoods on Long Island are kept safe and free from gang violence.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his sincere thanks to all the members of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force for their work on the investigation.
“MS-13 members feed on brutal, ruthless attacks threatening the safety of our communities,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “With such a violent gang tormenting the neighborhoods of Long Island, it is essential that we work closely with our fellow law enforcement agencies to continue to round up the individuals committing these violent crimes. The persistence of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force will never weaken—our investigations into MS-13 will not cease until this gang is eradicated.”
“The Suffolk County Police Department continues to work with all our partners and serves on the Long Island FBI Gang Task Force to eradicate MS-13,” stated SCPD Commissioner Hart. “This indictment sends another strong message to MS-13 members that their actions will not be tolerated and justice will be served. We applaud the Eastern District of New York for their ongoing and relentless commitment to prosecute violent gang members and will continue to work together to ensure that our communities are safe.”
“Today’s indictment of MS-13 member Ruendy Jhonatan Hernandez-Vasquez on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and distribution of cocaine and marijuana clearly shows how the work of our law enforcement agencies is a constant in our relentless efforts to remove gang members from our streets,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder. “Our determined and dedicated approach keeps our communities safe and I would like to thank all involved in the FBI Long Island Task Force for bringing these gang members to justice.”
2009 Attempted Murder of John Doe #1 in Brentwood
As set forth in court filings, including a detention memorandum filed earlier today, on June 23, 2009, Catalan and two other MS-13 members, all of whom were new members of the Brentwood Locos Salvatruchas clique, armed themselves with handguns and drove through Brentwood, hunting for rival gang members to attack and kill in order to increase their standing and solidify their membership in the MS-13 gang. They observed a group of males on Barleau Street, whom they believed to be members of the Bloods street gang. The MS-13 members got out of their car, approached the group and started firing. John Doe #1 was struck in the armpit and back as he tried to run. Catalan and the others ran back to the car and fled the scene. John Doe #1 underwent surgery and ultimately survived the attack.
2015 Murder of Cesar Rivera-Vasquez in Babylon
Contreras, Lopez-Alvarado and Amador are charged in this indictment with the November 19, 2015 murder of Cesar Rivera-Vasquez, who was killed because the MS-13 members suspected that he was a member of a rival Mexican gang, Raza Loca. The MS-13 members convinced the victim to go with them to a secluded area adjacent to the Long Island Railroad station in Babylon to smoke marijuana. Once there, Contreras, Lopez-Alvarado, Amador and two other MS-13 members attacked Rivera-Vasquez with knives and a baseball bat before Lopez-Alvarado took a knife and cut the victim’s throat. The MS-13 members buried his body near a large mound of dirt, and the body was not discovered until April 2018.
2016 Murder of Javier Castillo in Freeport
Hernandez-Vasquez has been added to previously charged offenses in this case in connection with the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo. The MS-13 members suspected Castillo of being a member of the rival 18th Street gang and convinced him to go with them to Cow Meadow Park in Freeport. Once there, they attacked and killed him with a machete and buried his body in a shallow grave near a saltwater marsh. Castillo’s body was not recovered until October 2017. The sixth superseding indictment also adds marijuana and cocaine conspiracy charges against Hernandez-Vasquez.
In addition to the Rivera-Vasquez and Castillo murders, 14 other murders previously were charged in this case, including, the May 26, 2013 murder of Derrick Mayes, the May 28, 2013 murder of Keenan Russell, the July 14, 2014 murder of Jose Lainez-Murcia, the June 30, 2015 murder of Jonathan Cardona-Hernandez, the April 29, 2016 murder of Oscar Acosta, the June 3, 2016 murder of Jose Pena, the September 13, 2016 murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens, the October 13, 2016 murder of Dewann Stacks, the January 30, 2017 murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla, and the April 11, 2017 murders of Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre and Jefferson Villalobos, as well as numerous attempted murders and assaults.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Today’s superseding indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the largest and most violent street gang on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, NCPD, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Rockville Centre Police Department, New York State Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Michael T. Keilty and Raymond A. Tierney are in charge of the prosecution.
New Defendant:
RUENDY JHONATAN HERNANDEZ-VASQUEZ (“Solido”)
Age: 22
Roosevelt and Freeport, New YorkPreviously Indicted Defendants Facing Additional Charges:
JHONNY CONTRERAS (“Muerte” and “Reaper”)
Age: 25
Brentwood, New YorkREYNALDO LOPEZ-ALVARADO (“Mente”)
Age: 26
Brentwood, New YorkJEFFREY AMADOR (“Cruel”)
Age: 22
Brentwood, New YorkRONALD CATALAN (“Stranger” and “Extrano”)
Age: 27
Brentwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-403 (S-6)(JFB)
Leader of Crips Gang Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Firearms Possession and Witness RetaliationRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RUBIN MOYE, a/k/a “Nut,” a high-ranking member of the Crips gang, was sentenced to 192 months in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm and for ordering the assault of an individual he believed might testify against him. MOYE was convicted on April 28, 2017, following a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Rubin Moye illegally carried a loaded gun in the Bronx, and after he was caught red-handed, he ordered the violent assault of a suspected witness. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively prosecute those who threaten our communities with illegal guns. And we will not tolerate efforts to threaten or retaliate against witnesses who speak up about these crimes.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, evidence at trial, and statements made in court proceedings:
On March 3, 2016, MOYE, a high-ranking member of the Crips gang, unlawfully possessed a loaded .38 caliber Taurus revolver (“the Firearm”) while driving in the Bronx, New York. When MOYE failed to signal a right turn, two New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers conducted a routine traffic stop of MOYE’s vehicle. MOYE, who was driving without a license, could not produce identification. The officers asked MOYE to step out of the car and patted him down, discovering the Firearm inside MOYE’s pants. MOYE possessed the Firearm despite having previously been convicted of two felonies, including a conviction for manslaughter in 1999 stemming from an incident in which MOYE shot several individuals, killing one and wounding two others.
MOYE was subsequently charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), and he proceeded to trial in January 2017. In connection with that trial, which resulted in a hung jury, MOYE ordered inmates to assault an incarcerated individual (the “Victim”) who MOYE anticipated might testify against him at trial. As a result, during MOYE’s first trial, the Victim was violently attacked by two other inmates.
MOYE was retried in April 2017 and found guilty of the firearms offense, as well as of witness intimidation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(a)(2), and of witness retaliation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1513(a)(2).
* * *
In addition to the prison term, MOYE, 35, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the New York City Police Department, including members of the 43rd Precinct Anti-Crime Unit and the Violent Crimes Squad, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He also thanked the Office of the Bronx County District Attorney for its assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Balsamello, Matthew Hellman, and Matthew Laroche are in charge of the prosecution.
Lawrence Man Sentenced for Participating in Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today that Miguel Arias Velasquez, 22, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to documents filed with the court and statements made during the sentencing hearing, between approximately January 2017 and July 6, 2017, Arias-Velasquez made deliveries of heroin and fentanyl to customers of a drug organization working out of a residence on Water Street in Lawrence. Customers would call to order drugs and Arias-Velasquez and others would drive to locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to deliver the drugs. Arias-Velasquez and his coconspirators were arrested in July of 2017.
Arias Velasquez pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on May 8, 2018. He is likely to be deported to the Dominican Republic after serving his sentence.
“Those who choose to sell heroin or fentanyl in New Hampshire will be prosecuted aggressively,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We work each day with our law enforcement partners to protect our community by putting drug dealers out of business. Those who seek to profit from the sale of these deadly drugs will be targeted for arrest, prosecution and sentencing. This case is a product of that cooperative effort by law enforcement.”
“The state of New Hampshire is faced with an opioid crisis unlike ever before,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl and heroin to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions. DEA will aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
This matter was investigated by the DEA, the Massachusetts State Police, the United States Marshals Service, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Donald A. Feith prosecuted the case.
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Last of Three Defendants Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Robbing Elderly Victim on Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kasey Lynn Keffer, 40, of Sylva, N.C., was sentenced today to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release on robbery charges, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Keffer’s co-defendants, Mitchum Scott Turpin and Tillmon Gene Fortner, were previously sentenced to 120 and 78 months in prison, respectively, for their involvement in the robbery.
Chief Doug Pheasant, of the Cherokee Indian Police Department, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on October 29, 2017, the three co-defendants met at Keffer’s residence in Sylva, N.C., and discussed being short of money. Keffer identified the victim, a 72-year-old male and an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, as someone who had money. Later the same day, Keffer drove Turpin and Fortner to the victim’s apartment, located within the Indian reservation in Cherokee, N.C. Turpin, followed by Fortner, entered the victim’s apartment, where Turpin pointed a pistol at the victim and robbed him of $762. Turpin then ordered the victim into a closet. Keffer, Turpin and Fortner fled the scene in Keffer’s vehicle, and were apprehended shortly thereafter. Court records show that law enforcement later determined Turpin’s pistol to be a pellet gun.
All three defendants previously pleaded guilty to robbery charges. They are currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of the case and the Maggie Valley Police Department for their assistance.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Justin Eason, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
Justice Department, DEA Proposes Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl (see chart below).
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Stephen G. Dambruch, who is a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Council’s Heroin and Opioid Working Group, added, “Enactment of the proposed quota will assist our efforts to restrict the flow of illicit opioids and reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths both in Rhode Island and across the country.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
###
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl: (see chart attached below)
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
HONOLULU – The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs. “The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump’s goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii, Kenji M. Price, commented: “Across the country, and even here in Hawaii, the opioid epidemic is taking precious lives. We applaud this effort by the DEA to stem the tide of this epidemic by seeking to limit the ways in which these drugs are able to make their way into our communities here in Hawaii.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
“The effect of the opioid epidemic could not be clearer – American life expectancy is shorter for the first time in decades,” United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Peter E. Deegan, Jr. stated. “Heroin and prescription opioid abuse have taken a devastating toll on communities in this district and my office is committed to prosecuting those who distribute these dangerous drugs. But criminal prosecutions alone will not protect our communities. Reducing the amount of prescription opioids on the street and the number of people who become addicted to prescription opioids is another important step in addressing the opioid epidemic.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing
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Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction. On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
“Given our loss of 1,565 Kentuckians last year – over one a day in Louisville – to drug overdose, this federal regulatory change has potential to save lives in our Commonwealth,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “Legitimate patients should always have access to needed medications but common sense suggests that this move will reduce opiate diversion.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
# # #
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl.
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
“The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith stated: “These reductions in opioid production and prescriptions can reduce addiction, serious injury and death, and help turn the tide on the opioid epidemic that has caused so much pain and suffering here in Upstate New York and throughout the country. This is an important part of our country’s comprehensive strategy to defeat the causes of the most deadly drug epidemic in our history.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration announced today a proposal to significantly reduce the aggregate production quotas for certain prescription opioids. The attached press release provides more detailed information. The release is also available here: www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-dea-propose-significant-opioid-manufacturing-reduction-2019.
This proposal complements the work of the Western Oklahoma Opioid Enforcement Team, a collective effort of federal and state law enforcement agencies. Participants include the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigations, the District Attorney’s Office for Oklahoma County, the District Attorney’s Office for Cleveland, Garvin, and McClain Counties, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Office of Personnel Management—Office of Inspector General.
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl.
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee fully supports the Department’s goal to reduce opioid manufacturing rates in 2019. Our communities are currently facing the deadliest drug crisis in American history and Tennessee has already been established as an acute ‘hot spot’ for prescription opioid abuse and opioid overdose deaths,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “Reducing the availability of powerfully addictive prescription opioids will help our efforts to combat this growing opioid addiction crisis and save lives,” added U.S. Attorney Overbey.
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
# # #
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
“This proposed manufacturing reduction is a critical, common-sense measure that will undoubtedly result in fewer overdoses and less unlawful distribution of these dangerous substances,” U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen stated. “As this bold action indicates, Attorney General Sessions and the DEA are committed to reversing the tide of the opioid epidemic.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
# # #
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
“The Northern District of Alabama is one of 12 federal judicial districts across the country participating in a Justice Department opioid pilot program focused on investigating and prosecuting health care providers who have chosen greed over care for far too many victims of this crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town. “We are fighting daily to prevent the illegal diversion of deadly opioids into our communities and the DEA’s reduction in manufacturing quotas is critical to that fight.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
# # #
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
MACON: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announces that the Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl.
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
“Under the leadership of Attorney General Sessions, our office has established a team of civil and criminal Assistant United States Attorneys empowered to use all available means to pursue those who unlawfully divert opioids for use beyond that which is medically necessary for patient health,” said Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “This production quota adjustment is a step in the right direction to ridding the streets of unlawful opioids.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
Questions regarding this release should be sent to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, at 478-621-2603 or [email protected].
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl.
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “Too many lives have been affected by this deadly epidemic. I have a designated Opioid Coordinator who works daily with federal, state and local agencies to identify and prosecute those who over prescribe or illegally deal opioids to users.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
# # #
18-1058
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
“Today’s announcement reducing the manufacturing quota for opioids makes sense, as the reduction in the supply of these licit opioids should eventually result in a decrease in the demand for illicit opioids,” noted James P. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. “With less opiates available, it stands to reason that one or both of the following things will happen: (1) the number of patients being prescribed opiates will be reduced; and/or (2) the duration/frequency of each patient’s use of opiates will be reduced. With less people, being prescribed less opiates, for shorter periods of time, the likelihood that users will develop a dependence on these dangerous drugs will also be diminished. By lessening dependence on legal opioids we succeed in diminishing the very affliction that causes so many in our country to pay for deadly and dangerous illegal opioids with their lives.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the six most frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability to consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quota (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
(see attached chart below)
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
“Today’s announcement of the third consecutive year of decreases in proposed opioid manufacturing quotas shows continued progress in the right direction in our ongoing battle against this unprecedented public health and criminal justice crisis,” said U.S. Attorney David J. Freed. “The flooding of diverted prescription opioids into our communities has directly contributed to the demand for illicit drugs, exploited by violent drug dealers, and the death and destruction that is the only sure result of their criminal enterprises. Along with education, enforcement and meaningful treatment, reduction in supply will ultimately save lives.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
# # #
Justice Department Settles Disability Claims with Two Clinical Psychology Offices Involving Sign Language Interpreters and Service AnimalRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has reached settlements with two clinical psychology practices: Michael Vredevoogd P.C., and Apex Behavioral Health-Dearborn, P.L.L.C., to resolve allegations that they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.
The ADA requires that places of public accommodation, such as medical offices, provide sign language interpreters or other appropriate auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The ADA also requires that public accommodations make reasonable modifications to their policies and practices, such as allowing a service animal in a treatment room, when necessary to afford full and equal services to individuals with disabilities.
Michael Vredevoogd, P.C. is a neuropsychology practice in Clinton Township, Michigan and Apex Behavioral Health-Dearborn P.L.L.C. provides mental and behavioral health services in Dearborn, MI.
These settlements resolve investigations prompted by complaints that Apex Behavioral Health-Dearborn P.L.L.C. failed to provide a sign language interpreter to a patient who is deaf and communicates using American Sign Language, and that Michael Vredevoogd, P.C., refused to provide services to a patient who used a service dog. The investigations confirmed both allegations. It also revealed that Michael Vredevoogd, P.C., had a policy of refusing to provide sign language interpreters for patients who are deaf, thus patients with disabilities at both practices were denied the opportunity to get psychological care and communicate effectively with their therapists
“It is critical for patients to be able to communicate effectively with their mental health care providers, especially clinical psychologists who must understand sensitive details in order to appropriately treat complex psychological issues” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider. “It is also important for patients who use service animals to be able to access the office of mental health providers. The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that persons with disabilities are given equal access to health care.”
Under the settlement, both medical offices have agreed to update their policies and train their staff to ensure compliance under the ADA. They have also agreed to take steps to ensure that interpreters or other appropriate auxiliary aids and services are provided to individuals who need them in the future. The complainants in the Apex Behavioral Health matter will also receive monetary compensation.
For more information on the ADA and the DOJ’s Barrier Free Healthcare Initiative, visit http://www.ada.gov/usao-agreements.htm. Those interested in finding out more about these settlements or the obligations of public accommodations under the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at [email protected], or by calling 313-226-9151.
Jury Convicts North Las Vegas Man of Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Following a three-day jury trial, a Las Vegas man was found guilty of using a filing sharing network and the internet to receive and distribute sexually explicit images and videos of children, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson of the District of Nevada.
Bret Alan Humphries, 60, was convicted of one count of receipt and/or distribution of child pornography. The jury trial was before U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon who scheduled a sentencing hearing on November 15, 2018. Humphries faces the maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between October 4, 2011, and August 30, 2012, Humphries used Shareaza, a peer-to-peer file sharing program, to receive and distribute child pornography. Federal task force agents executed a search warrant at his residence and seized 3 devices containing child pornography. After a forensic examination of the devices, law enforcement discovered 71 images and 120 video files depicting pre-pubescent children and toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct and being subjected to sado-masochistic sexual abuse. Computer forensics showed that Humphries had been using various file sharing networks to receive and view child pornography since at least 2006.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Burton and Elham Roohani are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Judge Sentences Pittsburgh Drug Felon to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – An Allegheny County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 12 years’ imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Glaudis Lawrence, age 45, of Pittsburgh, PA.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around January 2016, and continuing until in and around July 2016, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, Lawrence conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance. Lawrence has a prior federal felony drug-trafficking conviction that also involved heroin.
Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) responsible for the successful prosecution of Lawrence. That task force was comprised of members drawn from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department, the Baldwin Borough Police Department, the Duquesne Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Munhall Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Scott Township Police Department, and the West Homestead Police Department, along with assistance from the Borough of McKees Rocks Police Department, the Borough of Ambridge Police Department, the Borough of Sewickley Police Department, the Crescent Township Police Department, the City of Aliquippa Police Department, the Borough of New Brighton Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Jersey City Man Admits Scamming Investors of $3.4 MillionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City man today admitted that he swindled two investors of $3.4 million by falsely representing that his businesses had secured lucrative contracts to sell olive oil to major retailers, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Antonio Fasolino, 62, entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Michael Vazquez in Newark federal court to all four counts of indictment charging him with three counts of wire fraud and one count of transacting in criminal proceeds. Judge Vazquez deferred acceptance of the guilty plea until sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2019.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Fasolino owned several companies that were purportedly involved in the manufacture, sale and distribution of pasta, tomato sauce, olive oil and other food products. In 2012, Fasolino obtained approximately $3.4 million from two victims by falsely representing that Fasolino’s companies had been awarded lucrative contracts to sell olive oil.
In fact, there were never any such contracts. Fasolino supplied the victims with altered bank statements and spent the money on himself, including car and mortgage payments, apartment rentals, a wedding, college tuition and credit card payments.
Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The transacting in criminal proceeds count carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge in the indictment is also punishable by a potential $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory Ehrie in Newark, and IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.
The government is represented by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Intrater and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Devlin of the Assert Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit.
Defense counsel: Chester Keller Esq., Newark
Jefferson Hills Man Convicted of 3rd Federal Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. – One former resident of Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on one count of violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Deon Webb, age 44, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge David Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on October 4, 2017, investigators from the DEA and the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office coordinated a controlled purchase to buy cocaine from Deon Webb. Investigators recorded the phone call in which a DEA confidential source contacted Webb and made arrangements to buy cocaine. The confidential source then travelled to a shopping plaza in North Versailles, PA. Webb arrived to the location in his Black Infinity QX60, exited the Infinity, and got into the sources’ car. Webb then gave the source 4.5 ounces of cocaine in exchange for $4,750. Webb then departed from the area. The source then turned over the cocaine to investigators. The Allegheny County Crime Lab tested the substance and the test revealed that it was approximately 120 grams of cocaine.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Due to Webb’s two prior federal drug trafficking convictions, he will face sentencing as a career offender. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense, and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Judge Cercone set sentencing for Thursday, January 17, 2019. Webb will continue to be detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office – DANET conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea in this case.
Jamaican man sentenced for scamming Americans with lottery scamRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Zicko Peterkin, of Montego Bay, Jamaica, was sentenced today to 38 months incarceration for operating a lottery scam to defraud American citizens, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Peterkin, age 34, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud” in April 2018. As a part of that conspiracy, Peterkin and others made unsolicited phone calls and emails to hundreds of residents in the United States, making false claims that the recipients had won a multi-million dollar lottery prize and a Mercedes Benz vehicle. Peterkin and co-conspirators told victims that, to receive these prizes, they had to send money to cover “processing fees.” Peterkin also sent images of forged cashier’s checks to the recipients, showing the intended target as the payee of the check. In response, victims wired at least $250,000 to Peterkin and his co-conspirators. The crime occurred from September 2008 to July 2011 in the Northern District of West Virginia and other locations across the country.
Peterkin was also ordered to pay $257,978 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for the Tax Administration.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.Jamaican Man Charged with Visa FraudRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Roger Garfield Campbell, of Kingston, Jamaica, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with visa fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in October 2015, Campbell applied for a visa to enter the United States as a non-immigrant visitor. The defendant submitted the application to the United States Department of State under the penalty of perjury, and was subsequently interviewed by members of the United States Consulate in Kingston as part of the application process. The complaint states that Campbell provided false information to the Department of State concerning his criminal history in order to obtain the visa. Based on his false representations, the defendant was granted a non-immigrant visa, and entered the United States via the Atlanta Georgia Port of Entry in 2016.
In 2018, members of the Department of Homeland Security received information that Campbell had falsified his visa application and remained in the United States illegally in Rochester, NY. Subsequent investigation conducted by DHS and the Department of State, with cooperation from authorities in the United Kingdom, revealed that the defendant had been convicted of multiple drug trafficking charges in 2002 and 2007 in the United Kingdom, for which he served significant prison sentences. The convictions would have precluded Campbell from receiving a visa to enter the United States.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and remains in custody without bail.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the U.S. Department of State, under the direction of Resident Agent-in-Charge Kenneth Haynes.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that the Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
Aggregate Production Quota for Opioids (grams)
2016
2017
2018
2019
(proposed)
Overall
Fentanyl
2,300,000
1,350,000
-41%
1,342,320
-1%
1,185,000
-12%
-48%
Hydrocodone (for sale)
86,000,000
51,900,000
-40%
50,348,280
-3%
44,710,000
-11%
-48%
Hydromorphone
7,000,000
5,140,800
-27%
4,547,720
-12%
4,071,000
-10%
-42%
Morphine (for sale)
62,500,000
35,000,000
-44%
33,958,440
-3%
31,450,000
-7%
-50%
Oxycodone (for sale)
139,150,000
101,500,000
-27%
95,692,000
-6%
85,578,000
-11%
-38%
Oxymorphone (for sale)
6,250,000
3,600,000
-42%
3,395,280
-6%
2,880,000
-15%
-54%
Overall Decline:
303,200,000
198,490,800
-35%
189,284,040
-5%
169,874,000
-10%
-44%
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”
“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”
“In 2016, Maine implemented regulations limiting the amount of opioid pain medication that doctors could prescribe and requiring prescribing doctors to check an online database to ensure that patients were not doctor shopping,” said U.S. Attorney Frank. “The Department of Justice and DEA are helping in that effort by limiting the amount of opioids produced. It is yet another component of the collective effort required to combat the opioid crisis.”
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
Justice Department, DEA Propose Significant Opioid Manufacturing Reduction in 2019Read the Press Release
FARGO – The Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have proposed a reduction for controlled substances that may be manufactured in the U.S. next year. Consistent with President Trump’s "Safe Prescribing Plan" that seeks to "cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years," the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.
On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.
In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.
The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:
Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.
"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs. These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action."
"We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day," said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. "This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine."
U.S. Attorney Chris Myers added "In North Dakota we fully embrace the global approach to reduce the availability of opioids. This fits squarely with the local efforts of the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission and the multi-faceted approach by our partners to fight this battle state-wide. Only by working together and using every available tool will we reduce deaths and prevent the cycle of addiction from starting."
Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.
When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from "legitimate channels of trade" by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.
The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.
In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.
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Israeli-Moroccan Man Sentenced to 43 Months in Prison in International Business E-Mail Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Harry Meir Mimoun Amar, a resident and citizen of Israel and Morocco, was sentenced today to 43 months in prison for taking part in an international conspiracy to trick mid-level corporate employees into wiring millions of dollars to bank accounts under the control of those in the criminal enterprise.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
In April 2018, Amar, 40, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Today, he was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. Following his prison term, Amar will be placed on 36 months of supervised release. He also must pay $273,321 in restitution and $49,503 in a forfeiture money judgment. Additionally, Amar will be subject to deportation proceedings.
Amar was among 17 people arrested in early 2017 following a multi-year investigative effort by federal and international law enforcement agencies to target multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering schemes perpetrated by a transnational organized crime network. Amar was arrested in Israel and consented to his extradition to the United States. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Amar was charged along with others last year with participating in one particular fraud scheme, known as a business e-mail compromise, or “BEC” scheme. One defendant was arrested and prosecuted in Germany for the BEC scheme. Cases against others remain pending.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Amar and others used the Internet and primarily U.S.-based electronic communications to target mid-sized and large companies and impersonate executive-level employees in e-mail communications with mid-level employees. These mid-level employees were led to believe they were being entrusted to handle a large financial transaction, such as a “secret” corporate acquisition. The employees were instructed to initiate wire transfers from the company’s corporate bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by members of the criminal enterprise. Once the funds were transferred, the money was quickly wire transferred out of the reach of the target corporation into accounts located in the People’s Republic of China and elsewhere, with the funds ultimately being delivered to co-conspirators located in Europe and elsewhere.
In his guilty plea, Amar admitted taking part in the scheme from approximately January 2014 until August 2014, working with co-conspirators who were operating in other countries, including Turkey and Bulgaria. The statement of offense ties Amar to false representations made to four companies from Germany, Spain, Finland and Portugal. According to the statement of offense, the scheme generated $1,093,557 in U.S. dollars. Amar personally received $49,503 of the proceeds.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who are investigating the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Israeli National Police, German LKA Baden-Wurttemberg, the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, Main Directorate Border Police, and Sofia Interpol.
They acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips and Elizabeth Swienc, former Paralegal Specialist Christopher Toms, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.
Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Atkinson and David Last, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Marando and David Kent, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Indianapolis, Indiana Man SentencedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Shauntel Chambers, age 33, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his guilty plea to distribution of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Chambers was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Chambers pled guilty to distributing cocaine on September 15, 2017. Chambers has three prior felony convictions and has violated probation or conditions of release on four occasions.
This case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Schaffer.
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Indianapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joseph Jay Johnson, age 40, of Indianapolis, Indiana, pled guilty to Felon In Possession Of Firearm & Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2) and 924(e), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both. However, if the court deems the defendant to be an Armed Career Criminal, the offense is punishable by not less than 15 years imprisonment.
The Indictment alleged that on or about January 30, 2018, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm and ammunition which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney John David Luton represented the United States.
Henry County Man Indicted on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Tony Boyd, of Paris, Tennessee was indicted on July 16, 2018, by a federal grand jury for distributing drugs, while being a convicted felon. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictment today.
According to the indictment, Boyd is charged with the distributing crack cocaine in the Paris, Tennessee area on six separate occasions. Two transactions occurred within 1,000 feet of the Porter Court Park Playground.
Because of his significant criminal history, if convicted on Counts 1, 3, 4, and 6, Boyd faces up to 20 years imprisonment; $1,000,000 fine and 3 years supervised release. On Counts 2 and 5 he faces up to 30 years imprisonment, $2,000,000 fine and 6 years supervised release. Boyd made his initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward G. Bryant on August 8, 2018. During a detention hearing on August 14, 2018, the Court ordered the defendant remanded to custody.
U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, "Recidivist drug traffickers create havoc and jeopardize public safety, especially in small rural communities and school zones. Drug dealers can no longer hide in any part of the Western District of Tennessee, and this indictment demonstrates our commitment to remove career drug dealers from our streets."
The case is being investigated by the Metro Crime Unit of Henry County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Gulfport Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Fabeon Ah’Keem Minor, 19, of Gulfport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 8 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Minor was ordered to spend 8 months in a halfway house following release from the Bureau of Prisons. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
The case began with the Gulfport Police Department searching a home where Minor was residing, finding two firearms and a stack of cash in the closet of Minor’s room. A loaded revolver with the serial number obliterated was found under Minor’s mattress. In another bedroom, police found distribution amounts of marijuana and five more firearms, including a loaded MK-99 7.62 caliber rifle under the mattress.
U.S. Attorney Hurst commended the work conducted by agents of the ATF and officers of the Gulfport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Genovese Crime Family Associate Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Murder Conspiracy and Other Racketeering OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SALVATORE DELLIGATTI was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 25 years in prison for conspiring to participate in the Genovese Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra through a pattern of racketeering activity, conspiring and attempting to commit murder in aid of racketeering, conspiring to commit murder-for-hire, and other related offenses. DELLIGATTI, 42, was previously convicted by a jury following a three-week trial, and was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by the U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Salvatore Delligatti, an associate of the Genovese Crime Family, recruited individuals to ambush and kill his intended victim, even providing them with a gun and getaway car. Now, thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, Delligatti will spend 25 years in prison.”
According to court papers filed in Manhattan federal court, other public filings, and the evidence presented in court during the trial:
From at least in or about 2010 through in or about 2015, DELLIGATTI was an associate of the Genovese Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra. During this period, DELLIGATTI conspired with others to participate in and conduct the affairs of the Genovese Family through a pattern of racketeering activity that included a murder conspiracy, an extortion conspiracy, and the operation of an illegal sports betting business. In particular, in May and June 2014, DELLIGATTI hired several individuals from the Bronx to ambush DELLIGATTI’s intended victim outside the victim’s home in Queens. DELLIGATTI offered to pay the individuals several thousand dollars for the murder, and provided them with, among other things, a loaded .38 caliber revolver and a getaway vehicle. As a result of wiretap surveillance of DELLIGATTI by the Nassau County Police Department and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the individuals hired by DELLIGATTI were apprehended just a few blocks from the intended victim’s residence on June 8, 2014.
* * *
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Nassau County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also thanked the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Diplomatic Security Service of the United States Department of State, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Samson Enzer, Jordan Estes, and Jason Swergold are in charge of the prosecution.
Genesee County Physician and Two Others Charged with Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging Patrick Wittbrodt, Dr. April Tyler and Jeffrey Fillmore of Genesee County with health care fraud and Patrick Wittbrodt with money laundering, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by William P. Conway, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Chicago Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
The Indictment charges the defendants with a conspiracy to commit health care fraud and 17 counts of health care fraud. The Indictment specifically charges that between 2014 and 2017, the defendants would attend meetings of the United Auto Workers (“UAW”) union. At those meetings, the defendants touted unnecessary prescription pain cream, scar cream, pain patches and vitamins to UAW members. The prescriptions were unnecessary because Dr. April Tyler did not establish a valid doctor-patient relationship with any of the UAW members and/or did not determine medical necessity for the prescriptions she wrote for the UAW members. Many of the compounded pain and scar creams were billed to the insurance company at over $15,000 per prescription.
Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendants caused fraudulent claims to be submitted to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan and/or Express Scripts totaling approximately $9,500,000. Over the same period, Medicare paid over $800,000 in fraudulent prescription claims.
Defendant Patrick Wittbrodt is also charged with seven counts of money laundering in connection with the illegal proceeds of the health care fraud conspiracy.
“Health care fraud involving medically necessary prescriptions not only is dangerous to those patients receiving the drugs, but also drives up the cost of health care for everyone,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “This indictment demonstrates that our office is committed to stamping out health care fraud in the Eastern District of Michigan.”
“When medical professionals and others scheme to illegally provide unneeded drugs to consumers, they violate the public trust,” said William P. Conway, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Chicago Field Office. “Our office will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who are criminally involved in the distribution of medicines.”
“Writing medically unnecessary prescriptions for health care items and products and thus causing them to be billed to federal and private health insurance programs is wrong and illegal” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Fraudulent acts such as this threaten vitally important programs such as Medicare and the beneficiaries they serve. The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to ensure that individuals that perpetuate these types of fraudulent schemes are held accountable.”
Health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering are each punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine on each count.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Heesters and Health Care Fraud Chief Wayne F. Pratt.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fulton County Deputy Jailer Indicted for Assaulting InmateRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in Paducah, Kentucky, returned a one-count indictment today charging James Eakes, a deputy jailer at the Fulton County Detention Center, with violating the civil rights of an inmate by assaulting him with a dangerous weapon.
The indictment alleges that on Aug. 14, 2016, Eakes willfully deprived an inmate of the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Eakes assaulted the inmate with a dangerous weapon, resulting in bodily injury to the inmate.
If convicted of the civil rights charge, Eakes faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Madison Sewell of the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Zachary Dembo of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
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Former Virgin Islands Senator Convicted of Wire Fraud and Theft of Federal Program FundsRead the Press Release
A former senator for the U.S. Virgin Islands has been convicted for wire fraud and theft of federal program funds for taking money ostensibly being used to fund a historical research project, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gretchen C. F. Shappert for the District of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Wayne A.G. James, 56, of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, was convicted of two counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of federal program funds. Sentencing has been set for Dec. 20.
“Wayne James abused his trusted position as a senator for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands by stealing tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to pay his own campaign and personal expenses,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “Public corruption undermines confidence in our government institutions and the rule of law. Wayne James’s conviction is a testament to the commitment of the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who breach the public’s trust for their personal gain.”
James was indicted in October 2015. From January 2009 through January 2011, James served as a senator for the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to the evidence admitted at trial, in or about April 2009, James began submitting requests to the Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands for funds, ostensibly to pay for research, copying, and translation of historical documents housed at the Danish National Archives related to the Fireburn, a revolt against slave labor that took place in the Virgin Islands in the 1800s. Though James initially did use some of the requested funds to pay for the research project, he soon began to take money for himself. By 2010, James fabricated entire invoices and simply stole the money. James caused the Legislature of the Virgin Islands to pay him over $90,000, approximately $70,000 of which he took for himself. James used the misappropriated government funds to pay his re-election campaign expenses and other personal expenses after his legislative salary was garnished from a tax levy of more than $197,000.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the U.S. Virgin Islands is committed to rooting out fraud and corruption in our government,” said U.S. Attorney Shappert. “The defendant’s betrayal of the people and his elected office is intolerable and we will continue to pursue such abuses of the public trust. Here, the defendant exploited a precious piece of Virgin Islands history for his own purposes. And a Virgin Islands jury held him accountable. ”
The FBI and the Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector General investigated this case. Trial Attorneys Amanda R.Vaughn and Luke Cass of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Delia Smith prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Border Patrol Supervisor Pleads Guilty, Admits to Violating Civil Rights of Legal Border CrosserRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin McDonald (619) 546-9144
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 16, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Border Patrol Supervisory Agent Martin Rene Duran pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he used his official position to create bogus alerts in a border-security law enforcement database to have an innocent man detained by Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
According to the complaint, the target of Duran’s false alerts was R.C., a man who had accused Duran’s brother-in-law, Raymundo Estrada Figueroa, of sexually abusing R.C.’s child in Mexico. Within one week of those allegations, as admitted during the plea proceedings, Duran directed a subordinate Border Patrol officer to create a law enforcement alert for R.C. which falsely claimed R.C. was frequently armed with a .45 caliber handgun. As Duran admitted today, over the next several months, Duran then entered several false alerts for R.C. into a system known as TECS, the principal database used by officers at the border to assist with screening individuals seeking entry into the United States. In one TECS alert, Duran falsely claimed R.C. was “known to carry firearms” and was linked to a narcotics organization. In another, Duran falsely claimed R.C. had made recent threats to law enforcement.
According to the complaint, R.C.—who is identified only by his initials to protect his son’s identity—is a lawful permanent resident of the United States with no known criminal history. He was detained on multiple occasions at the San Ysidro border crossing in 2013 based on the false alerts entered by Duran. According to the complaint, every time R.C. was detained, no weapons or contraband were found and he was released. On one occasion, R.C. and his wife were removed from their vehicle, handcuffed, separated from their minor children, escorted to the security office and put in a holding cell for almost two hours before they were released. According to the complaint, R.C. believed Duran was trying to pressure him into dropping the charges against Estrada, the brother-in-law. And today, Duran admitted he had R.C. detained at the Port of Entry so he could question him about the matter involving Estrada.
In a separate case earlier this year, Duran was convicted by a federal jury of seven counts of illegal transportation of firearms and one count of possession of a short-barreled rifle. Duran is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Marilyn L. Huff on September 17, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. for sentencing on both matters.
“This agent used his significant power against someone he was sworn to protect,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “He targeted a law-abiding citizen because of a personal vendetta, and for that he will pay a price.”
DEFENDANT
Martin Rene Duran Age: 49 Chula Vista
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Case Number: 15CR2818
Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 242
Maximum Penalty: 12 months’ custody, a fine of $100,000, one year of supervised release.
Case Number: 15CR2817
Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(a)(3) – Illegal Transportation of Firearms
Maximum Penalties: 5 years’ incarceration, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release.
Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861 and 5871 – Possession of Unregistered Firearm: Maximum Penalties: 10 years’ incarceration, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release.
AGENCIES
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Office of Professional Responsibility
Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General
U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Office of Professional Responsibility
Former Superintendent of Rockbridge County Regional Jail Indicted on Federal Civil Rights ChargesRead the Press Release
Lynchburg, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke has returned an indictment charging two former Rockbridge County Regional Jail officials with federal charges related to federal civil rights violations and falsifying documents to obstruct justice. First Assistant United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar and Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
An indictment returned under seal August 14, 2018 and made public today following the arrest of both defendants charged as follows:
John Marshall Higgins, 61, of Lexington, Va., is charged with four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, specifically denying a detainee medical care of his serious medical needs, resulting in bodily injury.
Gary Andrew Hassler, 58, of Lexington, Va., is charged with two counts of falsifying documents in order to obstruct a federal investigation.
According to the indictment, during his tenure as superintendent of the jail, Higgins, acting under the color of law, failed to protect the rights of inmates at the Rockbridge County Regional Jail from physical abuse, which resulted in serious bodily injury to the inmates.
In addition, the indictment alleges that Higgins, acting under the color of law, failed to protect the rights of inmates at the regional jail by failing to provide inmates with medical treatment, resulting in bodily injury.
The indictment also accuses Hassler, the former head nurse at Rockbridge County Regional Jail, with falsifying medical documents to impede a federal investigation. Specifically, on or about March 5, 2017, the indictment claims that Hassler falsified a jail medical log for an inmate by falsely claiming that on February 28, 2017, the inmate refused his medication.
Additionally, Hassler is accused of falsifying a Rockbridge Regional Jail Incident Report dated March 5, 2017 by falsely reporting an inmate refused medical care on March 1, 2017.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia State Police. The Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for Rockbridge County assisted with the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary T. Lee and Matthew Miller will prosecute the case for the United States.
A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Senator Wayne James Found Guilty on Wire Fraud and Embezzlement of Government FundsRead the Press Release
"Here, the defendant exploited a precious piece of Virgin Islands history for his own purposes. And a Virgin Islands jury held him accountable."
St. Thomas, USVI –Wayne James, 56, formerly elected to the 28th Virgin Islands Legislature, was found guilty by a federal jury of wire fraud and theft of federal program funds, United States Attorney Gretchen Shappert announced today. District Judge Curtis Gomez remanded James into the custody of the U.S. Marshals after setting his sentencing for December 20, 2018.
In 2008, James was elected by the people of St. Croix to serve in the 28th Legislature of the Virgin Islands. The evidence at trial showed that shortly after taking office, James received approval from the Legislature to conduct research on the 1878 Fireburn, an historic, post-slavery uprising that occurred while the Territory was under Danish rule. The "Fireburn" was a workers’ rebellion where four women, led by Queen Mary, set ablaze 50 sugarcane plantations to bring an end to poor working and living conditions of the plantation workers. In April 2009, then-Senator James began submitting requests to the Virgin Islands Legislature for funds, ostensibly to pay for research, copying, and translation of Fireburn documents housed at the Danish National Archives.
Though James initially used the funds to pay for the research project, he soon thereafter began to defraud the people of this Territory using an elaborate scheme of submitting fake invoices to secure funds. The trial evidence further established that James’ fraudulent scheme was precipitated by his serious financial hardship, including garnishment of his Legislative salary. As a result of a $197,000.00 tax levy, the Internal Revenue Bureau began garnishing James’ wages thereby reducing his bi-weekly $2,057.00 take-home pay to $509.00. During the course of James’ fraudulent scheme, he caused the Legislature to pay him over $90,000, approximately $70,000 of which he kept for himself. The evidence at trial also showed that James diverted the misappropriated funds to pay $20,000.00 for his re-election campaign expenses, and other personal expenses.
Though James received over 1,600 pages of Fireburn documents from the Danish National Archives, trial testimony demonstrated that he never delivered the documents to the Legislature of this Territory. Instead, James kept the historical documents in order to further his future plans of becoming a screenwriter of the Fireburn movie.
"The United States Attorney’s Office for the Virgin Islands is committed to rooting out fraud and corruption in our government," said United States Attorney Shappert. "The defendant’s betrayal of the people and his elected office is intolerable, and we will continue to pursue such abuses of the public trust. Here, the defendant exploited a precious piece of Virgin Islands history for his own purposes. And a Virgin Islands jury held him accountable. "
This case was investigated the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Virgin Islands Office of Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Delia Smith, and Trial Attorneys Amanda Vaughn and Luke Cass of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
Former Office Manager for Lincoln Family Wellness Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Valerie M. Stevens, 36, formerly of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced Tuesday in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 15 months in prison by United States Senior District Judge Richard G. Kopf, for wire fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, Ms. Stevens will also be required to pay restitution in the amount of $222,322.43 and serve three years on supervised release.
From January, 2011, until October, 2016, Valerie M. Stevens served as the office manager for Lincoln Family Wellness, P.C. During this period of time Stevens was given use of a Pinnacle Bank Visa card, in the name of Lincoln Family Wellness. The credit card was billed to Lincoln Family Wellness and Stevens at their business address in Lincoln, Nebraska. Stevens was provided the credit card for the exclusive purpose of paying for office expenditures and was aware that she was not authorized to use the Visa credit card for the purchase of personal items.
During this period of her employment, Stevens made numerous unauthorized charges to the Visa card, to pay for personal expenses for herself and others. Once the Visa card bills were received in the office, Stevens would then pay for these unauthorized personal credit card charges by using the proceeds of Lincoln Family Wellness, P.C. In total, Stevens charged over $130,000 in personal expenses on the Visa credit card.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.