United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DETROIT — An investigation out of the Drug Enforcement Administration Lansing Post of Duty has led to charges for 16 individuals for various drug distribution charges, Aug. 4. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced 16 defendants were arrested and charged with drug-trafficking crimes arising out of the Lansing, Michigan area. Eight...

CLEVELAND -- Ten people were indicted for their roles in a conspiracy in which the leader allegedly controlled large shipments of fentanyl stamped into pills, heroin, cocaine and other drugs from Mexico to Cleveland while using a cellular phone smuggled into his prison cell. Named in the 17-count indictment filed...

CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged a pharmaceutical distributor, two of its former officials and two pharmacists with conspiring to distribute controlled substances in an indictment returned here yesterday. Four individuals have been charged, including Miami-Luken’s former president and compliance officer and two West Virginia pharmacists. Those charged...

CINCINATTI – Attorney General William P. Barr and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II, together with multiple law enforcement partners, announced enforcement actions involving 60 charged defendants across 11 federal districts, including 31 doctors, seven pharmacists, eight nurse practitioners and seven other licensed medical professionals...

DETROIT – A former Oakland County reserve deputy sheriff will spend 49 months in prison for the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today. Joining Schneider in the announcement was DEA Detroit Division Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. Plancon and FBI Detroit Division Special Agent...

CINCINNATI – A defendant was sentenced today in the first federally indicted carfentanil prosecution in the country. Phillip Watkins, 34, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 300 months in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin laced with carfentanil and attempting to murder a witness he believed...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Alex Alberto Castro received 42 years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine. A federal jury convicted Castro in October 2018. He was the lead defendant of a 20-plus defendant drug trial. Chief United States District...

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...

DETROIT - A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Detroit Police Officer Christopher Staton, 51, of Detroit, with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of making a false statement to a special agent of the FBI, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced. Schneider...

DETROIT - On Sept. 25, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration established the Southeast Michigan Regional Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Strike Force. This is an unprecedented step to co-locate so many federal as well as state and local resources to address the unique challenges in the southeast Michigan region...