A U.S. District Court judge accepted the guilty plea of a Broad Run, Virginia, man for a felony drug charge. The 29-year-old is accused of conspiracy for the distribution of controlled substances in several Northern Virginia counties.
The alleged drug trafficker admitted that he was in possession of fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone. The man submitted documents to the court testifying that he worked with others to obtain and distribute false prescriptions for the narcotic painkiller.
According to statements entered with the Broad Run man’s plea agreement, the alleged drug dealer created a prescription template that was widely used among drug traffickers. The accused reportedly altered an original prescription and designed a template that was stored in his computer. The alleged dealer and others initially copied the template in order to get more than 7,000 Roxicodone tablets. The active ingredient in the drug brands Roxicodone and OxyContin is oxycodone.
The 29-year-old stated in court papers that his computer template generated enough interest to be used later by several fraudulent prescription drug rings operating in the northern part of the state. Three of the drug rings have been convicted for participation in the illegal activity.
Sentencing for the Virginia man is set for early December. The federal drug conviction could lead to a maximum 20-year prison term.
Law enforcement units from the Manassas City, Fairfax County and Prince William County worked with FBI drug agents in the investigation, dubbed “Operation Cotton Candy.” The investigation centers on prescription drug distributions through members of the medical community and their patients.
As this case clearly shows, Virginia authorities and federal investigators take drug charges very seriously. Often investigators will spend extended amounts of time investigating a person or group of people before making an arrest. If you suspect you are being investigated by authorities, speaking to an experienced Virginia criminal defense attorney may be beneficial.
Source: Fairfax News, “Broad Run Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone Charges,” Aug. 23, 2011
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