Florida Woman Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Role In Conspiracy To Distribute Oxycodone

TRENTON, N.J. – A Florida woman was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for her role in an oxycodone distribution conspiracy in Flemington, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Alicia Balaban, 35, of Wellington, Florida, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to the documents filed in the case and statements made in Court:

From April 2016 through December 2017, Balaban, her mother, Michele Call, 63, of Flemington, New Jersey, and Nelida Rios, 55, also of Flemington, worked together to secure prescriptions for oxycodone, fill them at pharmacies in Flemington, and then distribute the pills to Marie DeJulia, 42, of Lodi, New Jersey, from Call’s and Rios’ residences for resale. The conspirators distributed thousands of 30 mg oxycodone pills.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Balaban to three years of supervised release, and fined her $1,500. She ordered forfeiture of $93,560.

All of the defendants have pleaded guilty. On Nov. 20, 2018, Call was sentenced to 54 months in prison and Rios was sentenced to 48 months in prison. DeJulia is awaiting sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Protection Unit in Newark.