DEA’s El Paso Division, which covers West Texas and New Mexico, is issuing this safety bulletin to remind the public not to purchase pills or medications from street dealers. Recently DEA El Paso learned that certain pills, which are being sold on the street and have similar markings to legitimate...

WASHINGTON – The Drug Enforcement Administration today announced the launch of an enhanced system to help more than 1,500 registered drug manufacturers and distributors nationwide more effectively identify potential illicit drug diversion and combat the opioid epidemic. On Oct. 24, 2018, President Trump signed into law the “Substance Use–Disorder Prevention...

NEW YORK – DEA New York Division Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman announced the conviction yesterday of Ernesto Lopez, a New York-licensed medical doctor who wrote thousands of medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl...

CLEVELAND- Six people from Ohio were indicted in federal court for their roles in a health care fraud conspiracy in which Medicaid was billed $48 million for drug and alcohol recovery services which were not provided, not medically necessary, lacked proper documentation, or had other issues that made them ineligible...

BANGOR, Maine – Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New England Division and United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Jordan Richard, 25, of New Vineyard, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to 160 months in prison and three...

OMAHA, Neb., – Jan. 8 marked the six month anniversary of the opening of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division which covers Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and four counties in Illinois and Wisconsin. Since July 2018, agents across the Division have seized or collected 5,064 pounds...

LOS ANGELES – As the greater Los Angeles area continues to be hamstrung by an opioid epidemic that has seen approximately 500 overdose deaths this year, the DEA in Los Angeles has announced a new comprehensive opioid strategy. At a press conference on Dec. 18, 2018, the DEA in Los...

BANGOR, Maine – Brian D. Boyle Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New England Division and United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Deborah Toothaker, 55, of Pittsfield, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 46 months in prison and...

ST. LOUIS – Dr. Philip Dean, 62, a resident of Warren County, Missouri, was sentenced today to 40 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution to the Medicare and Medicaid programs in the amount of $312,377. Dr. Dean previously pled guilty today to two felony charges, illegally distributing opiate...

TULSA , Okla. – An Owasso physician pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to leading multiple conspiracies to write fraudulent opioid prescriptions in an effort to support his drug habit. Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley, Jr., of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and United States Attorney Trent...