"The charges allege participating doctors, medical professionals and pharmacies knew the prescriptions had no legitimate medical purpose and were outside the usual course of professional practice. In some cases, “crew leaders” and “runners” allegedly filled or had the individuals who posed as patients fill the illegal prescriptions at Houston-area pharmacies. The owner and pharmacist in charge at one pill mill pharmacy allegedly dispensed the second highest amount of oxycodone 30mg pills of all pharmacies in the entire State of Texas in 2019, and the ninth highest amount in the nation. One hundred percent of the oxycodone dispended by this pharmacy – every single oxycodone pill that left the premises – was in the highest available dosage strength of that drug. On certain occasions the indictments allege that drug dealers and traffickers then allegedly diverted and distributed the controlled substances to the streets, with some pills trafficked from Houston to Boston." said Attorney-General Barr, in a statement.
The DEA also closed six clinics, fifteen pharmacies, and issued nine suspension orders to other suspected facilities. The Agency estimates that over 23 million doses of Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, and Carisoprodol were pushed all over the city streets. All of these medications are issued by the government. Stories about these medicines turning up later as street drugs are becoming about as common in the US as mass-shootings. We do recall, however, that President Obama assured us all during the National Health Care debate that the system would be fool-proof against fraud and corruption. As we've seen on a regular basis now, the exact opposite has been the case.
In a related Swamp-Draining story, the DEA also announced today that one of its own members, a former Special Agent for New Orleans, is off to the slammer after pleading guilty to multiple counts of Obstructing Justice, Perjury, and Falsifying Government Records:
"According to the evidence presented during the seven-day trial, Chad Scott, while a DEA special agent in New Orleans, committed these crimes in and around the New Orleans, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, areas. Specifically, the evidence showed that Scott directed a Houston-based drug trafficker to buy a Ford F-150 truck worth approximately $43,000 and forfeit the truck to Scott as part of the drug trafficker’s cooperation. Scott then falsified the seizure paperwork for the truck in various aspects, including falsely claiming that he had seized the truck in New Orleans instead of Houston, in order to facilitate the vehicle being forfeited and given to Scott as his official government vehicle. Additionally, the evidence showed that Scott convinced the same Houston-based drug trafficker, as well as another drug trafficker in Houston, to testify falsely at a federal trial in New Orleans as to the identification of a major cocaine and heroin supplier in the Houston area. Along with obstructing justice by inducing this false testimony, Scott then himself committed perjury during a motion session as well as during the federal trial, the evidence showed. After a trial including this false testimony, the alleged supplier was found guilty. Once Scott’s actions and the false testimony came to light, the case against the alleged supplier was dismissed by the court at the request of the United States."
Three Louisiana Police officials who served on Scott's Task Force are also sitting in jail awaiting trial in October. One of these sterling characters robbed a home using a fake Search Warrant. He and the other two were caught with cash and narcotics in their possession that were supposed to have been forfeited to the DEA. The Swamp is indeed a very deep and dark place.
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