DEA Archived Press Releases

Press Releases before January 20, 2025
38 Results - Showing 11 to 20
PRESS RELEASE

Charlotte couple indicted on conspiracy to distribute prescription opioids in Virginia

ABINGDON, Va. – A federal grand jury sitting in U.S. District Court in Abingdon indicted a Charlotte, North Carolina-based doctor and his wife earlier this week on charges that they conspired to illegally distribute prescription opioids to patients in the Western District of Virginia and then made a false statement...
PRESS RELEASE

Maryland man and 10 co-conspirators committing murders, drug trafficking and killing a federal witness, taken down by more than 10 agencies across three states

HARRISBURG, Pa., – Today, Christopher Johnson, 31, previously residing in Baltimore, pleaded guilty in the District Court Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death, one...
PRESS RELEASE

Virginia man distributing over ½ million dollars of cocaine, found and sentenced to prison

RICHMOND, Va. – A Hopewell man was sentenced to nearly 15 years in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. According to court documents, Lorenzo Coleman, 41, was the leader and organizer of a multi-defendant drug trafficking ring that distributed cocaine in Hopewell and the surrounding areas. Coleman...
PRESS RELEASE

Virginia man producing dangerous anabolic steroids and masking agents in his basement, selling them on social media, sentenced to prison

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced to five years in prison for manufacturing and distributing anabolic steroids and money laundering. According to court documents, John Russell Kestel, 38, ran an anabolic steroid manufacturing and distribution conspiracy for at least three years. Kestel imported raw steroid powders from China...
PRESS RELEASE

As Western Maryland battles the opioid crisis, meth is surging

HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- The number of meth cases, particularly of one-pot meth labs in Western Maryland, has been experiencing a recent surge. DEA agents and partner agencies in Western Maryland are seeing a resurgence of one-pot meth labs in the area -- noting more incidents of meth labs in the...
PRESS RELEASE

Virginia doctor running scheme to prescribe opioids with no medical purpose, pleads guilty

RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man pleaded guilty today to unlawfully prescribing Oxycodone and Tramadol to patients at a Richmond-area pain management practice. According to court documents, Zeljko Stjepanovic, 58, was a doctor working in a pain management practice, initially in Fredericksburg and later in Henrico County. As part of...
PRESS RELEASE

Hampton woman making and storing massive amounts of heroin and fentanyl, pleads guilty

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton woman pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents, Symphoni V. Wiggins, 38, mixed, prepared and stored heroin and fentanyl in her...
PRESS RELEASE

State of Maryland locations collect a record breaking amount of medications on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

WASHINGTON – The results from DEA’s 18 th National Prescription Take Back Day are in and DEA and its partners in the Washington, D.C. area have collected a record amount of medications. On Oct. 26, community members across the area came out to drop off unwanted and expired prescription medications...
PRESS RELEASE

Possible meth lab found in Hagerstown Maryland

HAGERSTOWN, Md. – At approximately 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 5, 2019, the Hagerstown Police Department and the Washington County Narcotics Task Force were alerted to the presence of suspected methamphetamine production in the 400 block of Guilford Ave., Hagerstown, Md. The DEA Hagerstown Resident Office Clandestine Laboratory Team (consisting of...
PRESS RELEASE

Richmond man running multi-state heroin trafficking conspiracy sentenced

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin in the Central Virginia region and making a false declaration to a federal grand jury. According to court documents, from approximately 2015 through October 2017, Gregory Stacey, 38, participated in a...