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Drug Enforcement Administration

Westchester Man Sells Opioid Three Times Stronger Than Fentanyl, Feds Say Westchester Man Sells Opioid Three Times Stronger Than Fentanyl, Feds Say
Westchester Man Sells Opioid Three Times Stronger Than Fentanyl, Feds Say Two men, including one from Westchester County, face federal charges for allegedly selling a narcotic up to three times stronger than fentanyl, officials announced.  Yonkers resident Miguel de Jesus Reyes Medina, age 49, and Camden, NJ resident Erik Alberto Lopez Valdez, age 38, were arrested on Thursday, July 18 on drug distribution charges, the US Attorney's Office for Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, in April 2024, Reyes Medina agreed to sell fentanyl to an undercover agent working with law enforcement, reportedly asking f…
Westchester Physician, NY Pharmacist Illegally Prescribed, Dispensed Opioids: Feds Westchester Physician, NY Pharmacist Illegally Prescribed, Dispensed Opioids: Feds
Westchester Physician, NY Pharmacist Illegally Prescribed, Dispensed Opioids: Feds A Westchester County physician and a pharmacy owner from Long Island both face federal charges in connection with their alleged illegal distribution of highly addictive opioids, officials announced.  Nassau County resident Feroze Nazirbage of Bellerose, age 50, and Larchmont resident Mordechai Bar, age 71, were both arrested on Wednesday, June 5 and charged with illegally diverting oxycodone and other controlled substances, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, Nazirbage, who is associated wit…
Dealers Behind Fatal ODs Would Be Charged With Manslaughter Under NY Bill: 'This Is A Crisis' Dealers Behind Fatal ODs Would Be Charged With Manslaughter Under NY Bill: 'This Is A Crisis'
Dealers Behind Fatal ODs Would Be Charged With Manslaughter Under NY Bill: 'This Is A Crisis' Drug dealers in New York could soon face manslaughter charges for selling narcotics that result in fatal overdoses. State lawmakers are considering a bill that would make selling, delivering, or otherwise administering a controlled substance eligible for manslaughter charges if someone later dies from an overdose. Under current law, a person who provides an illicit drug that results in death can typically only be charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, a non-violent felony. Related Report: 'Gone Forever': Yonkers Mom Recounts Teen's Overdose On 'Red Table Talk' The bi…
13 Kilos Of Cocaine, Heroin Worth $1.6M Seized In Westchester Drug Bust: Duo Faces Charges 13 Kilos Of Cocaine, Heroin Worth $1.6M Seized In Westchester Drug Bust: Duo Faces Charges
13 Kilos Of Cocaine, Heroin Worth $1.6M Seized In Westchester Drug Bust: Duo Faces Charges Two men were apprehended as part of a massive drug bust in Westchester that resulted in the seizure of $1.6 million worth of cocaine and heroin, police announced.  The drug bust, which happened on Thursday, Dec. 21 in Yonkers, was the culmination of a months-long investigation conducted by Group D-42 of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Yonkers Police announced on Friday, Dec. 22.  As part of the lengthy investigation, the group, which includes Yonkers Police detectives, determined that narcotics were being transported from New Jersey to Yonkers.  In response…
10 Accused Of Distributing Crack Cocaine In Westchester 10 Accused Of Distributing Crack Cocaine In Westchester
10 Accused Of Distributing Crack Cocaine In Westchester Ten people are facing charges after investigators reported that they trafficked crack cocaine in Westchester County.  The indictment charging 10 individuals with various drug distribution and firearms charges in and around Mount Vernon was announced by Damian Williams, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, on Tuesday, Nov. 15. “This investigation has shut down a violent drug trafficking organization based in Mount Vernon, New York," DEA Special Agent-in Charge Frank A Tarentino III said. "Drugs and guns cause irreparable damage in our communities, and l…
'Rainbow Fentanyl' Made To Look Like Candy Being Sold To Children, DEA Warns 'Rainbow Fentanyl' Made To Look Like Candy Being Sold To Children, DEA Warns
'Rainbow Fentanyl' Made To Look Like Candy Being Sold To Children, DEA Warns Brightly-colored fentanyl made to look like candy is being sold to children and young people, the Drug Enforcement Administration warns.  The DEA and law enforcement partners seized some of the brightly-colored fentanyl in 18 states in the month of August 2022.  “Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.   “The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentan…
Fugitive Had 30 Pounds Of Fentanyl In Home Next To Daycare In NY, DEA Says Fugitive Had 30 Pounds Of Fentanyl In Home Next To Daycare In NY, DEA Says
Fugitive Had 30 Pounds Of Fentanyl In Home Next To Daycare In NY, DEA Says Federal agents apprehended a 44-year-old fugitive in New York, where they say he was trafficking large amounts of cocaine and fentanyl.  Benito Bello, from Lawrence, Massachusetts, who also goes by the name Zuriel Ayala Rodriguez, was arrested in the Bronx on Wednesday, Aug. 10, the DEA said.  Agents said Bello had a kilo of cocaine and 14 kilos of the synthetic opioid inside the home where a minor child also lived.  Next to the house was a daycare that watched children as young as 6 weeks old, federal agents said.  For context, 14 kilos is more than 30 pounds of …
'Gone Forever': Westchester Mom Recounts Teen's Overdose On Streaming Show 'Gone Forever': Westchester Mom Recounts Teen's Overdose On Streaming Show
'Gone Forever': Westchester Mom Recounts Teen's Overdose On Streaming Show A mother from Westchester County is opening up about losing her teenage daughter to an accidental fentanyl overdose. Despina Prodromidis, of Yonkers, recently sat down with actress Jada Pinkett Smith on her streaming show, Red Table Talk, for an episode centered around the national fentanyl epidemic. (View a clip of the segment below) Through tears, Prodromidis recounted the unimaginable moment on Easter 2021 when doctors informed her that her 15-year-old daughter, Olivia Green, had died after taking a counterfeit Percocet. "I was like, 'Is Olivia okay?' and they just put their heads dow…
Former NY Doctor Sentenced For Conspiring To Illegally Distribute Oxycodone Former NY Doctor Sentenced For Conspiring To Illegally Distribute Oxycodone
Former NY Doctor Sentenced For Conspiring To Illegally Distribute Oxycodone A former New York doctor was sentenced for illegally prescribing thousands of oxycodone pills to two people. Long Island resident Tameshwar Ammar, age 53, of Amityville, was sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 7, to five years in prison for conspiring to illegally distribute oxycodone, according to Jacquelyn Kasulis, acting United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York. He also agreed to forfeit $245,700 in criminal proceeds. Kasulis said Ammar pleaded guilty to the charge in July of 2020. He relinquished his license to practice medicine in June of that year. He had been practic…
Westchester Man Nabbed With Large Stash Of Fentanyl In CT, Police Say Westchester Man Nabbed With Large Stash Of Fentanyl In CT, Police Say
Westchester Man Nabbed With Large Stash Of Fentanyl In CT, Police Say Police in Fairfield County seized a large stash of fentanyl during an investigation into an area trafficking operation. Norwalk Police arrested a Westchester County man during the execution of a search warrant around 2:30 p.m.,  Thursday, Aug. 26. The investigation was a long-term, joint operation between Norwalk Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Danbury Police Department Narcotics Unit.  The focus of the investigation targeted suppliers of fentanyl after several fatal and non-fatal overdoses occurred in the greater Norwalk area, said Serge…
DEA Agent Shoots Man While Attempting To Serve Gun-Related Federal Warrant At Rockland Hotel DEA Agent Shoots Man While Attempting To Serve Gun-Related Federal Warrant At Rockland Hotel
DEA Agent Shoots Man While Attempting To Serve Gun-Related Federal Warrant At Rockland Hotel One person was shot by a Drug Enforcement Administration agent as the agency attempted to serve a federal warrant on two suspects at a Rockland County hotel. The shooting took place just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 outside the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, at 425 E Rt. 59 in Nanuet as agents, along with members of the New York Drug Task Enforcement Task Force, attempted to execute the warrant associated with an ongoing gun-related investigation, said Erin L. McKenzie-Mulvey, spokesperson for the DEA. One man was shot by a DEA agent at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Nanuet.Google…
Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis
Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has agreed to pay billions of dollars in fines and will plead guilty to federal criminal charges for its role in the nation’s opioid crisis. The Fairfield County-based Connecticut company agreed to plead guilty in federal court in New Jersey to a three-count indictment that includes one count of dual-object conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and two counts of conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. As part of the agreement, Purdue Pharma, whose headquarters is in Stamford, will…
New York DEA Investigator Tried To Entice 14-Year-Old Boy To Have Sex, Feds Say New York DEA Investigator Tried To Entice 14-Year-Old Boy To Have Sex, Feds Say
New York DEA Investigator Tried To Entice 14-Year-Old Boy To Have Sex, Feds Say A former Drug Enforcement Administration investigator is facing charges for allegedly attempting to use child pornography to entice a minor to have sex with him. Frederick Scheinin, 29, of Sunnyside, Queens, was arrested and charged with one count of attempted production of child pornography, and one count of attempted enticement of a minor after attempting to lure his alleged victim with child porn. It is alleged that between October last year and January, Scheinin attempted to produce child pornography and entice a minor to have sex.  Scheinin was arrested on Thursday, Jan. 16 a…
27 More Arrests Made In Takedown Of Westchester Drug Ring 27 More Arrests Made In Takedown Of Westchester Drug Ring
27 More Arrests Made In Takedown Of Westchester Drug Ring This story has been updated. Twenty-seven more arrests have been made, bringing the total to 49, as part of a lengthy investigation into heroin sales in Westchester, the Bronx, and Pennsylvania. New Rochelle Capt. Cosmo Costa said that on Tuesday, Sept. 10, five search warrants were executed in Yonkers, the Bronx, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, as part of "Operation Red Smiley," leading to various charges for the suspects, one of whom remains at large. More than two kilos of heroin were seized along with marijuana and weapons. Those arrested on Tuesday were are fa…
Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam
Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam A new scam is making the rounds, prompting police agencies in the area to issue an alert from scammers attempting to extort doctors. Using spoofed phone numbers that make the call appear to come from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s medical offices, scammers have been targeting medical offices and officials, police said. Police said that some of the callers have spoken broken English and have been threatening to revoke doctors’ licenses and block their ability to prescribe drugs if they don’t comply with extortion requests. The DEA has confirmed that the calls are scams and doctors sho…
Details Emerge After Five Caught In Raid Of Westchester Fentanyl, Heroin Mill Details Emerge After Five Caught In Raid Of Westchester Fentanyl, Heroin Mill
Details Emerge After Five Caught In Raid Of Westchester Fentanyl, Heroin Mill New details have emerged after five people were busted during a raid of a fentanyl and heroin factory in Westchester early Friday. The arrests took place around 10:30 a.m. Friday at a home on Euclid Avenue in Ardsley, said Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Erin Mulvey. According to Mulvey, the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad executed a search warrant at the home where the five were arrested and approximately five kilograms of fentanyl and six kilograms of heroin were seized.  "The fentanyl alone has the potency to kill nearly over two million people k…
Five Arrested After Raid Of Westchester Fentanyl, Heroin Factory Five Arrested After Raid Of Westchester Fentanyl, Heroin Factory
Five Arrested After Raid Of Westchester Fentanyl, Heroin Factory This story has been updated. Five people were busted during a raid of a fentanyl and heroin factory in Westchester early Friday. The arrests took place around 10:30 a.m. Friday at a home on Euclid Avenue in Ardsley, said Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Erin Mulvey. According to Mulvey, the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad executed a search warrant at the home where five people were arrested and approximately five kilograms of fentanyl and six kilograms of heroin were seized.  "The fentanyl alone has the potency to kill nearly over two million people…
County Names New Public Safety Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner County Names New Public Safety Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner
County Names New Public Safety Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner County Executive George Latimer has appointed Tom Gleason as the new Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, and Terrance Raynor as the new Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety. The selection was announced at a Friday, Aug. 3 news conference in White Plains. A video of the swearing-in ceremony and Friday afternoon news conference can be watched by clicking here.  The two men were sworn into office by Administrative Judge Kathie Davidson. Latimer, a Democrat from Rye and former Mount Vernon native who was elected in November 2017, handed the appointees their new…
Westchester Pair Charged With Selling Tens Of Thousands Of Oxycodone Pills Westchester Pair Charged With Selling Tens Of Thousands Of Oxycodone Pills
Westchester Pair Charged With Selling Tens Of Thousands Of Oxycodone Pills A pair of Westchester residents are among five facing charges for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking organization that distributed tens of thousands of oxycodone pills in the area. Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Yonkers residents Adriel Vasquez, 37 and Cindy Garcia, 40, were among five suspects who are facing charges for conspiracy to distribute the prescription pills in the Bronx and other locales. According to Berman, the five suspects obtained oxycodone pills from individuals with prescriptions, stored and packaged…