Ohio couple charged with importing and distributing fentanyl and carfentanil

An Ohio couple was charged in federal court with illegally importing and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, law enforcement officials said.

Charged are James F. Halpin, 30, and Grace A. Bosworth, 38, both of Cincinnati.

Law enforcement agents purchased fentanyl on the dark web in May 2017. Fentanyl and analogue drugs are often mailed from China, Hong Kong and elsewhere. Sometimes they are sent to Canada before being mailed into the United States, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

The drugs were delivered to a location in Northern Ohio on May 30, having been mailed from the post office in Newport, Kentucky. The drugs were tested and determined to be a mixture of furanyl fentanyl, carfentanil and another fentanyl analogue, according to the affidavit.

Investigators determined the markings on these packages were identical to at least 40 shipments mailed from post offices in the Cincinnati area. It was also determined that Halpin and Bosworth lived at an address that routinely received parcels mailed from abroad and that he regularly mails out packages to addresses all over the country, according to the affidavit.

On June 6, investigators located a parcel that originated from Montreal addressed to Halpin and Bosworth’s address. A search of the package revealed five grams of a mixture of fentanyl, carfentanil and furanyl fentanyl, according to the affidavit.

“The amount of drugs seized is enough to kill a football stadium full of people,” Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja said. “This case underscores that our state is being inundated with large amounts of deadly drugs. We will continue to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers while working to prevent the next generation of addicts.”

“As a law enforcement community, HSI and our partners are aggressively engaged in combatting these deadly fentanyl smuggling organizations,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Francis. “Fentanyl and other opioids have reached epidemic levels in Ohio, due to its high potency and inexpensive cost. We take very seriously our responsibility to helping to stop this public scourge.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Riedl, Karl Kadon and Matthew Cronin following an investigation by the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, operating at part of the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

A charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.