United States Drug Enforcement Administration

ATLANTA – Ricardo Silva, a current inmate at Smith State Prison and a high-ranking member of the Sureños prison gang, has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine. He is currently serving a sentence with the state of Georgia for trafficking cocaine. “The mission of DEA...

SAVANNAH, GA - The United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia entered a default judgment against Dr. Firoz Patka, of Martinez, Georgia, totaling $1.2 million. In May 2017, the United States filed a complaint against Dr. Patka for violations of the Controlled Substances Act based on his...

Rome, Ga. – Barry Shedd has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine less than two months after his release from state custody. “The amount of prison time Shedd received correctly reflects the continuous criminal activities...

(SAVANNAH, Ga.) – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Secretary Alex M. Azar III, announced today the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action involving 601 charged defendants across 58 federal districts, including 165 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged...

(ATLANTA) – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, in partnership with the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, has released an opioid public service announcement that reminds Georgians that the opioid epidemic demands the urgent attention of everyone in our community. “Fighting this epidemic...

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Secretary Alex M. Azar III, announced today the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action involving 601 charged defendants across 58 federal districts, including 165 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged...

ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, in partnership with the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, have released an opioid public service announcement to remind Georgians that the opioid epidemic demands the urgent attention of everyone in our community. “Georgians unfortunately have...

ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, in partnership with the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, has released an opioid public service announcement that reminds Georgians that the opioid epidemic demands the urgent attention of everyone in our community. “Fighting this epidemic...

(ATLANTA, Ga.) – Edgar Valdez-Villareal, a/k/a La Barbie, who was born in the U.S. and rose to be a high-level leader of Mexico’s Beltran-Leyva Cartel, has been sentenced to 49 years and one month in federal prison on charges of cocaine trafficking and money laundering. “Edgar Valdez-Villareal a/k/a “La Barbie”...

(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) – R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced today that Dr. Michael Alson Smith, 65, a former Mt. Holly, N.C. family practice physician, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to drug distribution, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges...