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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 those pills in an apartment in the Bronx, and then resold them. Between November 2016 and February 2018, the defendants and other members and associates of the DTO were responsible for diverting and selling tens of thousands of oxycodone pills.
Seymour, Conn. resident Ricky Rios, 49, and Bronx residents Jeanette Santiago, 37 and Ultimo Montilla, 40 were the other three suspects implicated in the case. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison.
“As alleged, these defendants created a network spanning New York City to Connecticut for the distribution of tens of thousands of highly addictive and dangerous pills, helping to fuel the opioid epidemic plaguing our nation,” Berman said in a statement. “We are committed, along with our law enforcement partners, to stopping the diversion of prescription opioids.”
“This organization monopolized on opioid addiction by pushing tens of thousands of oxycodone pills throughout the Northeast, allegedly,” DEA Special Agent in Charge James Hunt stated. “Every day, more than 100 Americans die from opioid overdoses; both law enforcement and our community members are focused on bringing to justice drug trafficking organizations that exploit addiction for profit.”
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