Union City man admits trafficking $8.8 million worth of stolen meds

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: Luis Andres Faife-Ruiz of Union City admitted today that he was caught dead to rights at a New Jersey Turnpike rest stop with an $8.8 million truckload of medications that a hijack crew stole out of Georgia.

Jerry DeMarco

04/07/2011 6:49 p.m.

Faife-Ruiz, 44, pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark to conspiracy to steal and traffic the sanofi-aventis drugs, which included Xyzal, Nasacort AQ, Benzaclin Gel, and Lovenox.

The shipment stolen from a Georgia truck stop was driven from Florida to the turnpike rest area on Oct. 14, 2009, federal authorities said.

Faife-Ruiz said he and his co-conspirator, Amed Rey Parra, 36, of Miami Lakes, Fla., met the drivers, after which the stolen shipment was turned over to the buyer for inspection.

As the exchange of cash for drugs was being made, FBI agents swooped in, seized the shipment, and arrested those involved.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 12 in Newark.

United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman praised special agents of the FBI for making the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Levine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.

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