Northern Nevada Task Force Receives National Recognition For "Dirty Doctor" Prosecution

RENO, Nev. – The northern Nevada Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) received the 2018 Multi-Agency Exploitation of Opioid Strategic Initiatives national award at a presentation held today by the Department of Justice’s OCDETF Regional Board at the United States District Court in Reno.

The Department of Justice’s prestigious national award recognized more than 50 agents, officers, investigators, and prosecutors from local, state, and federal agencies involved in the investigation of a prescription drug ring. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Raging Bully,” resulted in the indictment of Dr. Robert Gene Rand, a Nevada-licensed physician, and eight others involved in a conspiracy to possess and distribute controlled substances, including oxycodone. Dr. Rand was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally prescribing oxycodone. Rand’s illegal prescriptions resulted in the death of at least one patient.

“Today’s ceremony is bittersweet. We celebrate law enforcement’s incredible investigative work to stem the tide of northern Nevada’s opioid crisis, but we also honor our friends, family, and neighbors who have fallen victim to addiction created by the epidemic,” said United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich. “I congratulate task force members for their dedication to ridding our streets of dangerous and addictive prescription opioids, and to the community for its prevention efforts.”

“The success achieved on the Rand case is due in large part to the collaboration between DEA and our law enforcement partners,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Daniel Neill. “This alliance, coupled with a resolve to do everything we can to attack the opioid epidemic, resulted in a significant impact on the illicit prescription drug supply in the Reno area.”

“We are honored and appreciative of this award recognizing the dedicated effort of federal, state and local law agencies in their campaign against opioid abuse. Our work does not end here, it merely continues until all neighborhoods across Nevada are safe.” said Aaron C. Rouse, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Las Vegas Division.

The investigation was led by the DEA and FBI with significant assistance by the IRS-Criminal Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Enforcement; Reno Police Department; Washoe County Sheriff’s Office; Carson City Sheriff’s Office; Nevada Department of Corrections; Nevada Gaming Control; Nevada Department of Public Safety; Lyon County Sheriff’s Office; the State of Nevada Division of Welfare, Office of Investigations and Recovery; and the Susanville, California Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Keller prosecuted the case with assistance by Branch Chief Sue Fahami, Assistant United States Attorney Tony Lopez, and former Assistant United States Attorneys Carla Baldwin Carry and Shannon Bryant.

The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the U.S. Attorney General’s national drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. There are nine OCDETF Regions throughout the nation.

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