United States Drug Enforcement Administration

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Osage Beach, Mo., nurse pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally obtaining fentanyl from a hospital for his own use. Charles Welch Jr., 65, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to a federal...

LOS ANGELES – A chemical company, its director and three senior employees have been charged in a 13-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they sold deadly fentanyl precursor chemicals and xylazine – known as “tranq” – globally, fueling the fentanyl crisis in the United States, the Justice Department announced today...

STAMFORD, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that DARIUS GAMBLE, also known as “Rell,” 39, of Stamford, has been charged with fentanyl trafficking offenses...

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FRANK JAMONT BEST, also known as “JB,” and “Cash,” 50, of Bridgeport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to approximately 37 months of imprisonment, time already served, and...

HARTFORD, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AURELIA CAROLINA LARA-DIAZ, 30, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 50 months of imprisonment for trafficking...

HARTFORD, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that PABEL MIGUEL ACOSTA-COLON, 36, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in Jersey City, New Jersey, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 22 months of...

STAMFORD, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Stamford Police Chief Timothy Shaw today announced that the following 11 individuals have been charged with federal offenses stemming from...

DENVER – Fentanyl continues to be the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. In 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized nationally more than 77 million fentanyl pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. Across the DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division –...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An anesthesiologist at a Lee’s Summit, Mo., hospital pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally taking prescription fentanyl from the hospital. Roman Peplinski, 37, of Kansas City, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to...

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JASON COX, 50, formerly of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 125 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised...