DEA Archived Press Releases

Press Releases before January 20, 2025
34 Results - Showing 1 to 10
PRESS RELEASE

Nurse Pleads Guilty to Illegally Obtaining Fentanyl from Hospital

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...
PRESS RELEASE

Anesthesiologist Pleads Guilty to Taking Fentanyl from Hospital

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...
PRESS RELEASE

Vernon County Man sentenced to 11 ½ Years for Trafficking Meth and Fentanyl

MADISON, Wis. – John McGarry, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-Milwaukee and U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin announced that Stanley J. Holte, 34, Coon Valley, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 11 ½ years...
PRESS RELEASE

Indianapolis Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to a Decade in Prison

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind- Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-Indianapolis and U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana announced Pierre Burnett III, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent...
PRESS RELEASE

Fifteen Meth Traffickers Sentenced to a Total of Over 175 Years

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-Indianapolis, and U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana announced Fifteen individuals have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in a large drug trafficking operation based in Kokomo, Indiana. According to...
PRESS RELEASE

Woman Sentenced to Six and a half Years in Prison for Trafficking Meth and Fentanyl

MADISON, Wis. – John McGarry, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-Milwaukee and U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin announced that Julia A. Lloyd, 40, Coon Valley, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 ½ years...
PRESS RELEASE

Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking in Lafayette Area

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two men Friday for drug trafficking in the Lafayette area. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced James Johnwell, 44, of Crowley, Louisiana, to 71 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for...
PRESS RELEASE

Former Alaska Advanced Nurse Practitioner Sentenced to 30 Years for Illegally Prescribing Millions of Opioids Causing Five Deaths

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA—Former Advanced Nurse Practitioner Jessica Joyce Spayd (52) was sentenced in U.S. District Court yesterday to 30 years (360 months) imprisonment for illegally prescribing and dispensing opioids outside the scope of legitimate medical practice that resulted in the deaths of five people between 2014 and 2019. United States District...
PRESS RELEASE

Nurse Who Stole Painkillers, Replacing Them with Saline and Putting Surgical Patients at Risk, Sentenced to Four Years

RALEIGH, N.C. – A former Fuquay-Varina nurse was sentenced today to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for tampering with painkillers intended for surgery patients. On March 9, 2022, Melissa Elizabeth Chacona pled guilty to the charges. “Surgical patients trust healthcare providers to give them the...
PRESS RELEASE

Rocky Mountain Field Division Removes Almost 900,000 Potentially Deadly Doses of Fentanyl from its Communities During Operation Last Mile

DENVER– Last week, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced the results of a year-long national initiative, “Operation Last Mile,” which targeted operatives, associates, and distributors affiliated with the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels. Specifically, the operation targeted those in our communities responsible for the last mile of fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution...