United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Michael J. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England and Deirdre M, Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Donald McCann, 32, of Bedford Hills, N.Y., was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for illegally obtaining and distributing prescription narcotics.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration began an investigation into the filling of fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone at pharmacies in Connecticut and New York through the use of fraudulent identifications.  The investigation revealed that McCann purchased prescription paper and obtained identifying information to forge prescriptions from at least five doctors.  McCann and Jesse Kaplan then traveled to pharmacies together and used multiple aliases and fraudulent prescriptions to obtain oxycodone and hydromorphone.  They then pooled, traded or shared their pills for further distribution.  Between December 2011 and October 2013, McCann fraudulently obtained more than 16,000 oxycodone 30MG pills.  McCann and Kaplan were arrested on December 20, 2013.  On March 13, 2015, McCann pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone.  On July 24, 2015, while he was released on bond, McCann was arrested in the Bronx, N.Y., for purchasing heroin.  His bond was revoked on August 5, 2015.  McCann’s criminal history includes multiple arrests in Connecticut and New York for obtaining or attempting to obtain narcotics by using fraudulent prescriptions.   On November 18, 2014, Kaplan, who also pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 57 months of imprisonment.

This matter was investigated by the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad and the Greenwich and Naugatuck Police Departments.  The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad includes members from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon and Wilton police departments.