ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Joel Elias Gonzalez, 53, formerly of Franklin, N.C. was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking large quantities of crystal methamphetamine, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Gonzalez pleaded guilty in...

BATON ROUGE, La. - Drug Enforcement (DEA) Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eric Watson and United States Attorney Walt Green announced today that two more defendants have been convicted in Operation Goldy Locks for their roles in a multi-state heroin ring which involved disguising heroin as oxycodone pills in...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Dr. Robert M. Ritchea, 53, of LaGrange, Georgia, was arrested yesterday after being indicted by a federal grand jury, announced Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam and George L. Beck, Jr, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Dr. Ritchea, who...

NEW ORLEANS - On National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day held on April 30, 2016, the New Orleans Field (NOFD) and its community law enforcement partners collected 35,993 - pounds of unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs at 378 collection sites throughout the division. The amounts collected for each state within...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Today, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. sentenced the leader and three co-conspirators to prison terms ranging from 57 months to 70 months for their involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking ring operating in the Henderson county area, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western...

ATLANTA - Georgians participating in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA’s) 11th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day (NTBI) held on Saturday, April 30, 2016, turned in 8,853 pounds of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at sites set up throughout the state. This amount was the third...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - North Carolinians participating in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA’s) eleventh National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day (NTBI) held on Saturday, April 30, 2016, turned in 15,449 pounds of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at sites set up throughout the state. This amount is...

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolinians participating in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA’s) 11th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day (NTBI) held on Saturday, April 30, 2016, turned in 6,688 pounds of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at sites set up throughout the state. This amount is...

NASHVILLE - Tennesseans participating in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA’s) 11th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day (NTBI) held on Saturday, April 30, 2016, turned in 21,229 pounds of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at sites set up throughout the state. This amount far exceeded the...

NEW ORLEANS - After collecting and destroying 5.5 million pounds-2,762 tons-of unused prescription drugs in the past five years, the U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA) is continuing its efforts to take back unused, unwanted and expired prescription medications. The DEA invites the public to bring their potentially dangerous, unwanted medicines to...