News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2003

Employee Of Essex County Sheriff's Department Sentenced To Federal Prison On Counterfeiting And Drug Charges

Boston, MA….A former Lynn resident was sentenced today in federal court on charges of possession of OxyContin pills with intent to distribute and six counterfeiting offenses.

Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, John O' Hara, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service in New England and United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, announced today that U.S. District Judge Rya W. Zobel sentenced ERIC J. FILA, age 30, formerly of 16 Millard Avenue, Lynn, Massachusetts, to four years and three months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. The Court also ordered the forfeiture to the Government of FILA's computer equipment that was seized from his home in connection with this case. On November 18, 2002, FILA pleaded guilty to all seven counts of an indictment charging him with one count of possession of OxyContin with intent to distribute and sex counterfeiting offenses.

At the earlier plea hearing, the Government told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial, the evidence would have proven that FILA, an employee of the Essex County Sheriff's Department, negotiated with a cooperating witness to obtain thousands of OxyContin pills. FILA agreed to generate thousands of dollars in counterfeit currency for the cooperating witness so that the witness could use it to purchase approximately 7,000 OxyContin pills. As a further part of the agreement, FILA was to receive approximately 2,000 of the pills.

FILA provided two counterfeit one hundred dollar bills to the cooperating witness after printing them on a computer at his home on July 3, 2001. On July 9, 2001, FILA met with the cooperating witness and provided the cooperating witness with approximately $75,700 in additional counterfeit currency. FILA was arrested on October 10, 2001, after having taken possession of 2,000 OxyContin pills from the cooperating witness on July 10, 2001.

A search warrant was executed on July 10, 2001 at FILA's residence in Lynn, where approximately $63,000 in additional counterfeit currency was recovered, as well as computer equipment used to manufacture the counterfeit currency.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Secret Service.