SAN FRANCISCO - Steven J. Nemec was sentenced today to 57 months prison and ordered to forfeit $80,000 for structuring cash transactions. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge, following Nemec’s entry of a guilty plea on September 1, 2017. According to his guilty...

FRESNO, Calif. - A Modesto physician, Sawtantra Kumar Chopra, 71, was arrested today, charged with prescribing opioids to patients outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. On April 19, 2018, a federal grand jury in Fresno brought a 22-count indictment against Chopra. He...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 51-year-old Corpus Christi physician has admitted he furnished false information in a record of dispensed controlled substances, announced Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Will Glaspy, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Dr. Michael Jerome Pendleton pleaded guilty today. At the hearing...

SAN FRANCISCO - The Drug Enforcement Administration and its national, tribal, and community partners will hold the 15th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28th. Since 2010 Northern California residents have turned in more than 413,000 (206 tons) of expired, unused and unwanted medications. The service is...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, the former governor of the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and a former PRI Party candidate for Mexican President, has been extradited to the United States. Ruvalcaba is charged in a Brownsville indictment which includes allegations of racketeering, drug smuggling, money laundering and bank fraud...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 44-year-old Richardson man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Will Glaspy, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Michael Cipriano pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2017. Today...

FRESNO, Calif. - Brothers Yousef Aezah, 28; Adhim Aezah, 23; and Dirar Aezah, 19, all of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to maintaining a drug-involved premise for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing synthetic cannabinoids or “spice,” U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Drug Enforcement (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge...

BEAUMONT, Texas - A 40-year-old Houston man has been arrested for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced the Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA Houston Division Will Glaspy and U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today. John D. Leontaritis, owner and operator of Vanderhall Exotics of Houston, and...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Today, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan, DEA Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin, and IRS Criminal Investigation Assistant Special Agent in Charge Cindy Chen announced one of the largest...

WASHINGTON - A federal jury found a Houston physician and the owner of a pain management clinic guilty for their roles in running a “pill mill” that provided tens of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for millions of doses of opioids and other controlled substances. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant...