United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEWARK, N.J. - On October 30, 2017, new Special Agent in (SAC) of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, Valerie A. Nickerson, reported for duty. SAC Nickerson is replacing former SAC Carl J. Kotowski, who retired on October 27. SAC Kotowski oversaw the DEA’s New Jersey Division since April...

SPOKANE, Wash. - On December 13, 2017, the Drug Enforcement (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and (ATF) led a large scale enforcement action targeting a criminal organization distributing methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Hundreds of law enforcement officials, including federal agents and state...

TRENTON, N.J. - Valerie A. Nickerson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, and William E. Fitzpatrick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey announced an Anaheim, California, man was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for laundering money on behalf of...

BOISE, Idaho - Dr. Rafael Beier, 63, of Kingston, Idaho, was sentenced on November 30, 2017, to 192 months in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for unlawfully distributing oxycodone and hydrocodone. Senior U.S.District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Beier to pay a $63,000 fine and...

SEATTLE - Former Seattle police officer pleaded guilty today for his role in the smuggling of hundreds of pounds of marijuana from the Seattle area to Baltimore, Maryland. Alex Chapackdee, 44, of Seattle, was a 16-year veteran of the Seattle Police (SPD), who resigned shortly after his arrest in May...

NEWARK, N.J. - Valerie A. Nickerson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, and William E. Fitzpatrick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced a Bergen County, New Jersey, woman today admitted using bogus litigation support companies to obtain millions of dollars...

MEDFORD, Ore. - On Thursday, November 16, 2017, United States District Judge Michael J. McShane sentenced Brian Keith Sunkenberg, 53, to 45 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to endangering human life by manufacturing marijuana in the form of hash oil. Judge McShane ordered Sunkenberg to pay $27,671 in...

TRENTON, N.J. - Valerie A. Nickerson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, and William E. Fitzpatrick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced a Trenton man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to distribute over a kilogram of cocaine and...

TRENTON, N.J. - Valerie A. Nickerson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, and William E. Fitzpatrick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced two New Jersey men today admitted their roles in a conspiracy to distribute 140 kilograms of narcotics in...

NEWARK, N.J. - Valerie A. Nickerson, Special Agent in (SAC) of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, announced that New Jersey residents turned in 14,527 pounds or 7.2 tons of expired, unused, and unwanted prescriptions during DEA’s 14th National Prescription Take Back Day on October 28. Nationally, more than...