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Opioid Epidemic

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$1.6 Million Fentanyl Arrest Of NY Man In PA: AG $1.6 Million Fentanyl Arrest Of NY Man In PA: AG
$1.6 Million Fentanyl Arrest Of NY Man In PA: AG A New York man is accused of bringing almost half a million doses of fentanyl into Pennsylvania, authorities say.  Yan Carlos Pichardo Cepeda, 27, was arrested by state agents and Allegheny County authorities and arraigned on Friday, Sept. 1, Attorney General Michelle Henry's Office said.  Pichardo Cepeda was spotted avoiding police officers and canine units when he arrived in Pittsburgh from New York, prosecutors said. He consented to a search of his backpack, where police said they found a kilogram of fentanyl. Eight more kilograms of fentanyl — or 450,000 doses — wer…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Montco Pharma Giant Could Pay Billions For Role In Opioid Crisis: Feds Montco Pharma Giant Could Pay Billions For Role In Opioid Crisis: Feds
Montco Pharma Giant Could Pay Billions For Role In Opioid Crisis: Feds A Conshohocken-based pharmaceutical giant could be on the hook for billions of dollars in fines for its role in the nationwide opioid epidemic, prosecutors say.  US Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero filed suit against AmerisourceBergen Corp., one of America's largest pharmaceutical wholesalers, for allegedly violating federal law regarding opioid distribution.  According to prosecutors, prescription drug sellers have a "longstanding legal obligation" to inform the federal Drug Enforcement Administration "each and every time they receive a suspicious order." Not only did AmerisourceBe…

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by Mac Bullock
News
15 Dirt Bike-Riding Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine Dealers Nabbed In Harrisburg Drug Bust: AG 15 Dirt Bike-Riding Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine Dealers Nabbed In Harrisburg Drug Bust: AG
15 Dirt Bike-Riding Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine Dealers Nabbed In Harrisburg Drug Bust: AG A six-month investigation into alleged drug dealing dirt bike riders in Harrisburg resulted in the arrests of 15 people and a massive drug and gun seizure, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced on Friday, Oct. 7. The details of the charges were released in an 88-page affidavit detailing the drug deliveries witnessed by police in broad daylight in the area of Regina, 14th, 13th, Wayne, Evergreen, Derry, Swatara, and Argyle streets. Police began watching the group in March 2022 after Harrisburg police department's narcotics unit witnessed a drug run and soon involved state police and a…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Suburban Philly Doctor Pleads Guilty To Running 'Pill Mill' Suburban Philly Doctor Pleads Guilty To Running 'Pill Mill'
Suburban Philly Doctor Pleads Guilty To Running 'Pill Mill' A Pennsylvania doctor has pleaded guilty to running a "pill mill" that flooded his own community with painkillers over the course of four years, federal authorities said. Yutong Zhang, 63, of Berwyn, pleaded guilty to an Information charging four counts of distributing oxycodone outside of the usual course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose, United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a Thursday, Feb. 3 release. Zhang is accused of selling medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone to approximately 120 patients at his St. Davids pa…

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by Nicole Acosta
News
Suburban Philly Pharmacist Exchanged Heroin, Fentanyl For Sex, Money: DA Suburban Philly Pharmacist Exchanged Heroin, Fentanyl For Sex, Money: DA
Suburban Philly Pharmacist Exchanged Heroin, Fentanyl For Sex, Money: DA A Pennsylvania pharmacist was arrested on accusations he prescribed oxycodone, Xanax, and fentanyl to at least two people in exchange for sexual favors, authorities announced. Martin Brian, 81 -- who owns Murray-Overhill Pharmacy located on State Street in Media -- became the center of an investigation when police came to check on two unconscious individuals behind the pharmacy the morning of Sunday, April 18, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said. As the officers were in the process of identifying the individuals in the car, a woman -- identified by authorities…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
NJ, NY, PA Among States Sharing Historic $4.3B Purdue Pharma Settlement NJ, NY, PA Among States Sharing Historic $4.3B Purdue Pharma Settlement
NJ, NY, PA Among States Sharing Historic $4.3B Purdue Pharma Settlement Oxycontin-maker Purdue Pharma has reached an historic $4.3 billion settlement with New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and a dozen other states that one attorney general said involved the “most that individuals have ever paid for breaking the law.” New Jersey expects to receive more than $110 million from the deal, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Thursday. As part of the settlement, the Sackler family must surrender ownership of the bankrupt drug company. They also must release more than 30 million family and Purdue Pharma documents that outline their roles in an opioid epidemi…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Politics
Pennsylvania AG Vows To 'Take On Big Fights' As He's Sworn Into Second Term Pennsylvania AG Vows To 'Take On Big Fights' As He's Sworn Into Second Term
Pennsylvania AG Vows To 'Take On Big Fights' As He's Sworn Into Second Term Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro was sworn in for his second term Tuesday in Harrisburg, officials announced. His swearing-in speech reflected on the big fights fought and won since taking office in 2017 -- and the ones to come in his second term.  “Four years ago, I was elected your Attorney General to fulfill the promise of this great agency, to work towards justice, and to take on the big fights, against the most powerful institutions, for every one of us," Shapiro said. "I went to every corner of Pennsylvania — all 67 counties — the very first year, to listen…The work go…

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by Nicole Acosta