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Opioid Crisis

Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fake Opioid Pills Online Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fake Opioid Pills Online
Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fake Opioid Pills Online A 38-year-old man from Bucks County pleaded guilty to trafficking counterfeit opioid pills. Robert Davis, 36, of Bensalem, pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. The pills were meant to be used as props in films but were instead used by drug dealers billed as oxycodone or Xanax, Romero said. The defendant was charged in a superseding indictment on May 9, 2023, with selling counterfeit opioid pills through his website, rcproppill, advertising the fake pills for use as props in films or music videos, from about 2015 through August 2019. The counterfe…
Yonkers Man Sells Opioid Three Times Stronger Than Fentanyl, Feds Say Yonkers Man Sells Opioid Three Times Stronger Than Fentanyl, Feds Say
Yonkers 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…
New Rochelle Physician, NY Pharmacist Illegally Prescribed, Dispensed Opioids: Feds New Rochelle Physician, NY Pharmacist Illegally Prescribed, Dispensed Opioids: Feds
New Rochelle 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…
Former NYPD Officer Admits Selling Heroin, Fentanyl In Westchester Former NYPD Officer Admits Selling Heroin, Fentanyl In Westchester
Former Nypd Officer Admits Selling Heroin, Fentanyl In Westchester A former New York City Police officer has admitted to selling packages containing heroin and fentanyl in Westchester, federal officials announced. Bronx resident Grace Rosa Baez, age 38, pleaded guilty to drug distribution charges on Tuesday, April 16, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  Earlier Report- Police Officer, Westchester Man Nabbed For Planning To Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin: Feds According to federal officials, Baez, who joined the NYPD in 2012, was placed on modified duty in 2020 after alleged misconduct and was soon subject…
Toddler's Fentanyl Death Leads To Manslaughter Charges For Long Island Couple Toddler's Fentanyl Death Leads To Manslaughter Charges For Long Island Couple
Toddler's Fentanyl Death Leads To Manslaughter Charges For Long Island Couple Prosecutors have filed upgraded charges of manslaughter against a Long Island couple whose toddler son died from a fentanyl overdose. Wilkens Adonis and Daryllee Leibrock, both age 38, of Holbrook, were arraigned on the new manslaughter charges in Suffolk County Court on Monday, April 1. The couple is already facing dozens of drug and weapons charges in connection with the death of 14-month-old Joseph Adonis. Earlier Report: Toddler Dies From Fentanyl, Cocaine Poisoning; Holbrook Couple Hit With Dozens Of Charges According to the Suffolk County DA’s office, emergency crews were ca…
Police ID 27-Year-Old Somerset County Stabbing Victim Police ID 27-Year-Old Somerset County Stabbing Victim
Police ID 27-Year-Old Somerset County Stabbing Victim Police have identified the 27-year-old woman stabbed dead in Somerset County this week. Maryrose Fealey, of Somerville, was found by Somerville police responding to a 911 call, outside a residential complex on North Bridge Street around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, Somerset County Prosecutor John  McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Somerville Chief of Police Dennis Manning said. Yesterday is gone, todays the day, tomorrow is the mystery Posted by Maryrose Fealey on Monday, January 22, 2024 Fealey was on the co…
Rite Aid Plans To Close 400-Plus Stores, Report Says Rite Aid Plans To Close 400-Plus Stores, Report Says
Rite Aid Plans To Close 400-Plus Stores, Report Says Rite Aid will close 400 to 500 stores as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, according to a new report. The drugstore chain is now negotiating with creditors to formulate a bankruptcy plan that would include liquidating a substantial portion of its more than 2,100 drugstores, The Wall Street Journal says. Rite Aid is facing over $3 billion in debt and more than a thousand federal lawsuits alleging it oversupplied opioids, the report said. Founded 61 years ago in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Rite Aid moved its headquarters to Philadelphia in 2022. Click here to read the complet…
Illegal Oxy Scripts: Long Island Doctor Sentenced To Time Behind Bars Illegal Oxy Scripts: Long Island Doctor Sentenced To Time Behind Bars
Illegal Oxy Scripts: Long Island Doctor Sentenced To Time Behind Bars A Long Island doctor who at one time was a leading prescriber of oxycodone in New York State was sentenced to spend three years behind bars for distributing the drug to patients who did not need it. On Thursday, May 25, the US District Attorney’s Eastern District of New York announced that Dr. Frank Parasmo, a former doctor from Deer Park, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, plus three years of supervised release, for unlawfully distributing prescriptions for oxycodone. Between January 2014 and February 2015, Parasmo, aged 76, provided oxycodone and hydrocodone prescriptions to 18 patien…
Fentanyl Pill Mill: Lawrence Man Gets 8 Years In Prison, Feds Say Fentanyl Pill Mill: Lawrence Man Gets 8 Years In Prison, Feds Say
Fentanyl Pill Mill: Lawrence Man Gets 8 Years In Prison, Feds Say A 32-year-old who was accused of using multiple pill presses to crank out fentanyl pills that looked like legitimate prescription painkillers will spend the next eight years behind bars, authorities said.  Miguel Angel Fajardo of Lawrence pleaded guilty in October to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. Along with his prison sentence, Fajardo will serve two years of probation when he is released, the judge ruled this week. Investigators said they found at his home more than 15 pounds of fentanyl pills —…
Bucks Doctor Who Overprescribed Opioids Learns His Fate Bucks Doctor Who Overprescribed Opioids Learns His Fate
Bucks Doctor Who Overprescribed Opioids Learns His Fate The Bucks County physician convicted of overprescribing opioids to patients will spend two to six years behind bars, a judge has ruled.  Dr. Richard A. Kondan, 59, of Doylestown, previously pleaded no contest in March to charges of unlawful prescription of a controlled substance, said the Bucks County District Attorney's Office in a statement.  According to prosecutors, Kondan failed to follow "accepted treatment principles" while prescribing highly-addictive painkillers to patients, and did not keep accurate medical records regarding his prescriptions.  In some cases, …
'Put Lives At Risk': Long Island Dentist, Town Worker Charged In Opioid Prescription Scheme 'Put Lives At Risk': Long Island Dentist, Town Worker Charged In Opioid Prescription Scheme
'Put Lives At Risk': Long Island Dentist, Town Worker Charged In Opioid Prescription Scheme A Long Island dentist is among two people facing charges for allegedly selling opioid prescriptions to people without a medical need. Farmingdale resident Jason DiBlasi, age 49, who owns a dental office in Massapequa, was arraigned on 113 counts of criminal sale of a prescription for a controlled substance by a practitioner or pharmacist in Nassau County Court Friday, Nov. 18. Prosecutors said police began looking into DiBlasi’s prescribing habits while investigating a fatal overdose. Between May and September 2021, members of the Nassau County DA’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administ…
Faculty Member Uses Narcan To Revive Unconscious Student In Maryland High School Bathroom Faculty Member Uses Narcan To Revive Unconscious Student In Maryland High School Bathroom
Faculty Member Uses Narcan To Revive Unconscious Student In Maryland High School Bathroom A fast-acting faculty member at a Maryland high school may have saved a student’s life on Wednesday morning, officials say. In Prince George's County, officers from the Hyattsville Police Department responded to Northwestern High School early on Wednesday, Nov. 2, where there was a report of a student who was unconscious in a bathroom. According to police, the faculty member was able to administer Narcan, which revived the student, who was fully conscious when a parent arrived at the school. It is unclear what substances the teen may have ingested. The incident remains under investigation…
Yonkers Doctor Admits To Prescribing Over 100K Oxycodone Pills Knowing They'd Be Resold Yonkers Doctor Admits To Prescribing Over 100K Oxycodone Pills Knowing They'd Be Resold
Yonkers Doctor Admits To Prescribing Over 100K Oxycodone Pills Knowing They'd Be Resold A Westchester County doctor could spend decades in prison after admitting that he illegally prescribed opioid pills knowing they’d be resold on the street. Marc Laruelle, age 65, of Yonkers, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing Oxycodone, amphetamines, and Xanax in federal court in Manhattan Wednesday, Oct. 19. Prosecutors said Laruelle, a licensed psychiatrist, illegally prescribed more than 100,000 doses of Oxycodone “outside of the usual course of professional practice” between September 2016 and October 2021. Highly potent and addictive, the drug often commands a high price in …
These Pennsylvania Natives Won Big At 2022 Emmy Awards These Pennsylvania Natives Won Big At 2022 Emmy Awards
These Pennsylvania Natives Won Big At 2022 Emmy Awards Pennsylvania natives won big at the 2022 Emmy awards on Monday, Sept. 12. Winners with Keystone State ties include: Quinta Brunson, 32, of Philadelphia, won her first Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series for the ABC sitcom "Abbott Elementary."  It stars Brunson as second-grade teacher Janine Teagues who strives to give her students the best learning experience at the fictional predominantly Black school in Philadelphia. Amanda Seyfried, 36, of Allentown, also snagged her first award for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie for her starring ro…
Detectives In Bergen Seize Enough Fentanyl To Kill 1.5 Million Users Detectives In Bergen Seize Enough Fentanyl To Kill 1.5 Million Users
Detectives In Bergen Seize Enough Fentanyl To Kill 1.5 Million Users Bergen County prosecutor’s detectives seized three kilos of deadly fentanyl – enough to produce nearly 1.5 million potentially fatal doses -- while arresting three men during a traffic stop in Teaneck. Charged with conspiracy and possessing 6½ pounds of the drug with the intent to distribute it are Bronx residents Edomar Troncoso, 28, Hanser Hernandez-Soto, 25, and Jefri Dominguez, 35, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Members of his Narcotic Task Force, along with Teaneck police, took the trio into custody late last week, Musella said. All three were booked into the Bergen Count…
Two Inmates Supposedly Overdosed At DC Jail In Three Days: Report Two Inmates Supposedly Overdosed At DC Jail In Three Days: Report
Two Inmates Supposedly Overdosed At DC Jail In Three Days: Report At least two people are dead and another is hospitalized after alleged opioid fentanyl overdoses at a DC jail, multiple sources report.  Ramone O'Neal, 28, and Sean Lee, 37, were said to be in the same cell when they reportedly overdosed at D.C. Jail on Sunday, May 15, according to WTOP and NBC Washington.  Lee was pronounced dead while his cellmate had to be revived with NARCAN, the outlets report. He was and was taken to the hospital where he is expected to survive.  Investigators are now trying to figure out how the drugs entered the jail and local politicians have called attention to …
18 Arrested After Investigation Into Drug Trafficking In Hudson Valley 18 Arrested After Investigation Into Drug Trafficking In Hudson Valley
18 Arrested After Investigation Into Drug Trafficking In Hudson Valley Eighteen suspects are facing charges in the Hudson Valley following a long-term investigation into drug smuggling and sales in Orange County, authorities announced. Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler and Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden announced that they have arrested and charged 18 people who have been linked to drug possession and sales throughout the region. Several of the suspects have also been charged with smuggling drugs into the Orange County Jail and prostitution. On Monday, March 7, Hoovler announced that the 18 have been charged with crimes pertaining to the…
Purdue Pharma Reaches $6B Settlement With US States Over Thousands Of Opioid-Related Lawsuits Purdue Pharma Reaches $6B Settlement With US States Over Thousands Of Opioid-Related Lawsuits
Purdue Pharma Reaches $6B Settlement With US States Over Thousands Of Opioid-Related Lawsuits OxyContin creators Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family have reached a $6 billion settlement over their roles in the ongoing opioid crisis plaguing the country. The announcement comes following an earlier deal made with Purdue, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, that was ultimately appealed by eight states and the District of Columbia until the Sacklers kicked in more cash to get the deal done. Earlier story - NY, Other States Reach $4.5B Settlement With Purdue Pharma Over Its Role In Opioid Epidemic The $6 billion will be paid out over the course of 18 years, with larger payments fro…
Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years
Dealer Who Produced Deadly Opioids In Basement Across From Paterson Mayor's Home Gets 10 Years A dealer who produced lethal opioids in a fortified basement drug mill across the street from the mayor of Paterson's house was sentenced to 10 years in state prison, authorities said. Silk City police had seized 17,000 folds of heroin and fentanyl -- as well as packaging and distribution materials -- while arresting Rafael “Chiquito” Brito and his girlfriend, Rosanny Prado, during a March 2020 raid on their East 36th Street residence across from Mayor Andre Sayegh's home. The drugs were linked to at least 10 overdose deaths of both local and suburban buyers, authorities said at the time. …
NY Jury Finds Pharmaceutical Company Liable In Opioids Case NY Jury Finds Pharmaceutical Company Liable In Opioids Case
NY Jury Finds Pharmaceutical Company Liable In Opioids Case Teva Pharmaceuticals, the last remaining defendant in a New York trial against opioid defendants, has been found liable for creating a public nuisance through its manufacture, sale, and distribution of opioids. The verdict from a Long Island Supreme Court jury came Thursday, Dec. 30, after six months of testimony in a trial brought by the State Attorney's General Office, along with Nassau and Suffolk counties. “This is a significant day for New York state. This is a significant day for this nation. But, more importantly, this is a significant day for every family and community torn apart by…
Ex-Physician Indicted For Illegally Prescribing Opioid Pills In South Jersey: Prosecutor Ex-Physician Indicted For Illegally Prescribing Opioid Pills In South Jersey: Prosecutor
Ex-Physician Indicted For Illegally Prescribing Opioid Pills In South Jersey: Prosecutor A former physician from South Jersey has been indicted for illegally prescribing highly-addictive opioid pills, authorities said. Morris “Moishe” Starkman, 62, of Yellowstone Road in Cinnaminson, has been indicted on 21 counts of narcotics distribution and fraud charges for the alleged activity out of his Bordentown Township practice, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. Starkman simultaneously engaged in an unlawful medical billing scheme over a three-year period, Coffina alleged. Starkman was indicted by a grand jury on 15 counts of distribution of a controlled d…
NJ Doc Took Bribes From Pharma Company For Toxic Fentanyl Prescriptions: Feds NJ Doc Took Bribes From Pharma Company For Toxic Fentanyl Prescriptions: Feds
NJ Doc Took Bribes From Pharma Company For Toxic Fentanyl Prescriptions: Feds A doctor from Central Jersey is accused of taking bribes and kickbacks in exchange for prescribing potentially fatal doses of fentanyl, authorities said. Mukaram Gazi, 51, of Marlboro in Monmouth County was charged with conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, receiving kickbacks, health care fraud and conspiring to unlawfully distribute dangerous narcotics, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig. According to Thursday's indictment: Gazi owned a urology practice with offices in Freehold, Hamilton, Howell and Toms River.  Gazi received more than $130,000 in bribes and…
Hudson Valley Counties To Receive Up To $94 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis Hudson Valley Counties To Receive Up To $94 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis
Hudson Valley Counties To Receive Up To $94 Million To Combat Opioid Crisis Hudson Valley counties are set to receive up to $94 million to help combat the opioid crisis. New York Attorney General Letitia James said in an announcement on Tuesday, Oct. 5, that the funds come from settlements from a March 2019 lawsuit against the manufacturers and distributors responsible for the crisis. James shared a list of figures representing the minimum and maximum amounts each county could receive from settlements with Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, Cardinal Health, Amerisource Bergen, and Endo. Hudson Valley: $51,729,983.90 – $94,455,606.10 Dutchess County: $3,682,781.87 …
12 Charged In Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring In 7 Pennsylvania Counties, Says AG 12 Charged In Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring In 7 Pennsylvania Counties, Says AG
12 Charged In Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring In 7 Pennsylvania Counties, Says AG A dozen people have been charged for their roles in the operation of a methamphetamine trafficking organization which operated in Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Luzerne, Montour, Northampton, and Perry counties, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. The charges are the result of a 14-month long investigation by the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations into a drug trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl in the state, which launched in July 2020. In a nearly hundred page charging document, Chelsey Andrews, Dougl…
'Reckless' Doylestown Physician Prescribed Deadly Oxy Cocktails To 14 Patients, AG Says 'Reckless' Doylestown Physician Prescribed Deadly Oxy Cocktails To 14 Patients, AG Says
'Reckless' Doylestown Physician Prescribed Deadly Oxy Cocktails To 14 Patients, AG Says A Doylestown physician is facing felony charges for prescribing 14 patients with deadly combinations of oxycodone for as long as 16 years per person, authorities announced. Richard Kondan, 58, prescribed highly addictive opioid medications to at least 14 patients between November 2017 and September 2019, Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said. Kondan failed to prescribe controlled substances in accordance with accepted treatment principles, and failed to keep accurate medical records that support the high volume of opioids that he prescribe…
'He Died In His Tracks,' NJ Mom Says After Twin Son, 25, Dies Of Fentanyl Poisoning 'He Died In His Tracks,' NJ Mom Says After Twin Son, 25, Dies Of Fentanyl Poisoning
'He Died In His Tracks,' NJ Mom Says After Twin Son, 25, Dies Of Fentanyl Poisoning A New Jersey mother is opening up on social media to spread awareness of counterfeit drugs after the sudden death of her 25-year-old son due to fentanyl poisoning. Denville native and Morris Knolls High School graduate Ross Michael Kaplowitz died Dec. 13, his obituary says. The University of Vermont student had gone out to smoke in the family’s garage and was found dead hours later, his mother, Marisa, details in a public Facebook post -- which had nearly gone viral as of March 3. “There was nothing we could do to revive him, although we tried," she wrote. "He died in his tracks.” Though…
Justice Department Accuses Walmart Of Fueling Opioid Crisis, Seeks Billions In Penalties Justice Department Accuses Walmart Of Fueling Opioid Crisis, Seeks Billions In Penalties
Justice Department Accuses Walmart Of Fueling Opioid Crisis, Seeks Billions In Penalties The Trump Administration sued Walmart on Tuesday for producing what it alleges is an illegal flow of pain killers that has fueled America’s opioid crisis. Ignoring “red flag” warnings against suspicious prescriptions from its own pharmacists, Walmart turned a network of 5,000 national in-store pharmacies into a pipeline of highly addictive painkillers, the Justice Department’s alleges in its lawsuit. Walmart understaffed those pharmacies while pressuring workers to fill prescriptions quickly – enabling widespread drug abuse -- in order to increase profits, the suit filed in US District Cour…
Historic Guilty Plea By Oxycontin Maker Purdue Pharma: What It Means Historic Guilty Plea By Oxycontin Maker Purdue Pharma: What It Means
Historic Guilty Plea By Oxycontin Maker Purdue Pharma: What It Means Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark on Tuesday in exchange for not only the largest penalties ever levied against a pharmaceutical manufacturer for its role in creating the nation’s opioid crisis. The company, which declared bankruptcy last year, also will be dissolved and its assets used to establish a new "public benefit company,” federal authorities said. US District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo approved the deal after Purdue Pharma Board Chairman Steve Miller pleaded guilty during a teleconference to three criminal charges on behalf of the company. “Purd…
Long Island Man Arrested For Allegedly Using Doctor's Pad To Obtain Opioids, DA Says Long Island Man Arrested For Allegedly Using Doctor's Pad To Obtain Opioids, DA Says
Long Island Man Arrested For Allegedly Using Doctor's Pad To Obtain Opioids, DA Says A Long Island man is facing charges for allegedly using a former doctor’s prescription pad to obtain more than 13,000 opioid pills, the District Attorney’s Office announced. Valley Stream resident James Cosentino, 27, was arrested and arraigned on Friday, Nov. 13 on charges alleging that he illegally used the prescription pad to obtain thousands of oxycodone and morphine pills over a nine-month stretch. Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said that Cosentino allegedly acquired a prescription pad from a former doctor. From December last year through September, Cosentino alleged…
Stamford-Based Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Role Stamford-Based Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Role
Stamford-Based Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Role 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…
Two Found Dead In Northern Westchester Residence; Infant Hospitalized Two Found Dead In Northern Westchester Residence; Infant Hospitalized
Two Found Dead In Northern Westchester Residence; Infant Hospitalized A man and woman were found dead at a residence in Northern Westchester, and their infant hospitalized, state police said. New York State Police troopers found the man and woman in their 30s in a Post Office Road home in Lewisboro at approximately 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, police said. Their infant was also in the home at the time of the welfare check. Police said that the deaths are being investigated as a potential overdose, and there appears to be no foul play. Investigators are currently waiting on autopsy reports. The child was taken to Westchester Medical Center for evaluation late…