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News
Release Fall River Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing OxyContin JUL 31-- Boston, MA……A Fall River man was convicted yesterday in federal court of numerous charges relating to the distribution of OxyContin and other drugs he sold to undercover law enforcement officers in a series of transactions in 2001.Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; Mark Dragonetti, Resident Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations in New England; and United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan announced that Norman L. SMITH, age 48, of Fall River, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph L. Tauro to 12 counts of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute , and to distribute, oxycodone and hydrocodone; possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and/or hydrocodone; and conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed wholesale distribution wholesale distribution in interstate commerce of the prescription drug OxyContin. At Yesterday's plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the government's evidence would have proven that on ten occasions between April 17, 2001, and December 6, 2001, SMITH sold oxycodone, either the brand name OxyContin or versions of Percocet, which is a trade name for a compound containing oxycodone and acetaminophen, to an undercover law enforcement officer. The transactions were monitored and tape recorded. A total of about 1,118 oxycodone tablets and 238 hydrocodone tablets were purchased or seized during the course of the conspiracy. SMITH was not licensed for the wholesale distribution of prescription drugs. Judge Tauro scheduled sentencing for October 22, 2003, at 10.00 a.m. SMITH faces up to 30 years' imprisonment, to be followed by 6 years of supervised release, and a $2 million fine on the drug conspiracy and distribution charges and 5 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release on the charge of conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed wholesale distribution of a prescription drug. This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Tactical Diversion Squad and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. Press Contact: Anthony J. Pettigrew,
(617) 557-2138
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