News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2004

Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Oxycontin and Cocaine Trafficking Convictions

JUN 14 - A Corrections Officer was sentenced today in federal court for participating in an OxyContin distribution scheme and for distributing cocaine. Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, announced today that PETER J. MEDEIROS, age 36, of 928 Oakley Street in New Bedford, was sentenced by U. S. District Judge Rya W. Zobel to 6 years and 9 months' imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $125,000 fine. At a previous hearing, MEDEIROS admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute OxyContin, a conspiracy to obtain OxyContin by fraud, three counts of acquiring OxyContin by fraud, three counts of health care fraud, and three counts of distributing cocaine.

At the earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the Government’s evidence would have proven that MEDEIROS, a Massachusetts Department of Corrections Officer who was on disability, was distributing OxyContin and Cocaine in 2001.

MEDEIROS and others participated in a scheme in which they passed forged prescriptions for OxyContin at various pharmacies in New Bedford, Massachusetts. MEDEIROS actually authored these forged prescriptions and recruited others to pass these prescriptions on his behalf. The costs of the prescriptions would primarily be paid by various health insurance providers. After obtaining the OxyContin, MEDEIROS distributed it in the New Bedford area. In total, the scheme netted over 3,000 OxyContin pills. In addition to admitting to the charges related to the OxyContin scheme, MEDEIROS admitted to selling cocaine on three separate occasions in 2000 and 2001.

At the earlier plea hearing, Judge Zobel directed MEDEIROS to file a sworn affidavit that explained what he had done with over $100,000 in cash that he withdrew from several bank accounts in November of 2003. On March 30, 2004, MEDEIROS was arrested based upon alleged perjury in the affidavit. A federal magistrate judge subsequently found that MEDEIROS committed perjury in that affidavit and ordered that MEDEIROS remain in custody pending sentencing.

MEDEIROS was one of seven defendants indicted in this case. All have pleaded guilty. His wife, Joyce Medeiros, was sentenced on June 9, 2004, to 2 years in prison. Myron Pina was sentenced on May 18, 2004, to 1 year and 1 day in custody and a $3,000 fine. Justin Lopes was sentenced to 3 years of probation on May 25, 2004. Douglas Lopes was sentenced to 10 months in prison on May 27, 2004. Nicole Lopes was sentenced to 1 year of probation. Stephen Lopes is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2004.

The case was investigated by the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Bedford Resident Office, Cape Cod Task Force, and the Worcester Tactical Diversion Squad, as well as the Massachusetts State Police. The Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Massachusetts Bureau of Special Investigations, the U. S. Postal Inspection Service, New Bedford Police Department, Boston Police Department, and the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney John J. Farley of Sullivan’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit.