United States Drug Enforcement Administration

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...

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho--Scott Higgins, 57, of Coeur d’Alene, was sentenced yesterday on charges for theft from a program receiving federal funds and acquiring controlled substances by fraud, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Both charges relate to a drug diversion scheme that Higgins carried out over multiple years while employed...

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...

ST. LOUIS – A doctor with an office in St. Louis and two employees have been indicted in U.S. District Court and accused of illegally prescribing controlled substances and health care fraud. Dr. David A. Parks, 66, James M. Bilderback, 58, both of Jefferson County, Missouri, and Michelle J. Scheer...

SAN DIEGO – OptumRx Inc., a prescription drug benefit provider, has agreed to pay $20 million to resolve allegations that it improperly filled certain opioid prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. The settlement resolves an investigation initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into whether, between April 2013...

CONCORD, N.h. – A Newbury woman pleaded guilty in federal court in connection to the diversion of dangerous narcotics by medical professionals, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Robin Nichols, 63, pleaded guilty to Tampering with Consumer Products. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for September 24, 2024...

SAN DIEGO – Palomar Health, a California public health care district located in San Diego County, has paid $250,000 to resolve allegations of diversion of fentanyl from one of its facilities and failure to keep accurate records for fentanyl. Palomar Health is California’s largest health care district, with campuses in...

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...

OMAHA, NE – Overdose trends in Omaha have dropped nearly 40 percent since the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division Overdose Response Task Force (ODRTF) began making arrests in January 2023. For their efforts, the eight-person team was presented with the Midwest Region High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Overdose...