TAMPA – Today, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-led joint task force, designed to bring justice to Tampa’s most violent drug traffickers, announced the results of a 5-month, concentrated law enforcement effort. Deanne Reuter, the DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge (SAC), and Roger Handberg, United States Attorney (USA)...

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division (RMFD) is proud to be part of the 26th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 10:00am to 2:00pm MST at dozens of locations across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana. “DEA’s Take Back events serve as...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An anesthesiologist at a Lee’s Summit, Mo., hospital pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally taking prescription fentanyl from the hospital. Roman Peplinski, 37, of Kansas City, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to...

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - John McGarry, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-Milwaukee and Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 11, 2024, Herlin Hernandez-Trinidad, a/k/a “Rainely” (age: 29) of Miches, Dominican Republic, pled guilty to conspiring to possess...

NEWARK, N.J. – A pharmaceutical manufacturer agreed to pay $2.25 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz and U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today The manufacturer, Novel Laboratories Inc. (Novel), a subsidiary of...

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”); and Darren B. McCormack, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of...

ALBUQUERQUE – Three of the eight defendants indicted following a joint enforcement operation last year in Carlsbad, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal drug offenses. Carlos Venegas, Jr., 24, of Carlsbad, pleaded guilty on March 4, 2024, to one count each of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams and more...

POCATELLO – Dr. Gerald Knouf, a family medicine doctor formerly of Pocatello, Idaho, agreed to pay $96,000 to resolve allegations that he wrote unlawful prescriptions, prescribed dangerous combinations of drugs, and billed Medicare and Medicaid for services that were not performed, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. The settlement also...

OAKLAND, Calif. – Parto Karimi, a former Bay Area doctor, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for distributing powerful opioids outside the scope of medical practice, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), San Francisco Field Division, Special Agent...

ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County, Missouri pediatrician was indicted Wednesday and accused of prescribing pain pills and other controlled substances in exchange for sex acts or cash. The indictment charges Craig A. Spiegel, 67, with 17 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances and six counts of making...