United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEWARK, N.J. – Susan A. Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-New Jersey Field Office, Patrick J. Hegarty, Defense Criminal Investigative...

SPOKANE, Wash. – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Esther Rae Tuller, age 41, of Moses Lake, Washington, was sentenced today in federal court in Spokane for tampering with morphine medication while working as a registered nurse. Chief United States...

Richmond, Va., – The United States Drug Enforcement Administration is active in many local communities through Operation Engage, a comprehensive community-level approach to address the drug epidemic through prevention strategies, facilitating conversations, and collaboration with local partners. As part of this mission, Citizens Academies are held to connect field offices...

WASHINGTON – A federal court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting a Tampa-area physician from prescribing opioids and other controlled substances, the Department of Justice announced today. In a complaint filed on July 18, and unsealed yesterday, the United States alleges that Dr. Neelam Taneja Uppal unlawfully wrote opioid prescriptions...

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis woman has pleaded guilty to misappropriating and adulterating prescription morphine while working as a pharmacist. According to court documents, on October 30, 2019, Jennifer Lee Draheim, 42, a pharmacist at Coburn’s Pharmacy in Ramsey, removed a bottle of morphine sulfate from the Scheduled Drug Cabinet and...

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – INTEGRIS ProHealth, Inc., and its parent, INTEGRIS Health, Inc. (collectively, “INTEGRIS”) paid $120,000 to settle civil penalty claims stemming from allegations that Integris Baptist Medical Center Pharmacy (“Integris Pharmacy”), which is owned and operated by INTEGRIS ProHealth, Inc., violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Joe’s Pharmacy of Peralta, New Mexico, has agreed to pay to the United States $50,000 representing civil penalties under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The agreement settles civil claims against Joe’s Pharmacy...

PENSACOLA, Fla. —Ahmad T. Ismail, 70, of Bonifay, Florida, settled potential violations of the Controlled Substances Act by agreeing to pay a fine of $130,000 and surrendering his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration. The settlement was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida...

NEWARK, N.J. – Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division Susan A. Gibson and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger announced a pharmacist and pharmacy owner pleaded guilty today to violating the Controlled Substances Act by filling fraudulent and counterfeit...

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A former veterinarian, who admitted to stealing opioids, was sentenced today to eight months in federal prison. Patrick Gries, 54, of Madison Heights, Virginia, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of adulteration of a drug held for sale after shipment in interstate commerce and one...