Former South Florida Resident Pleads Guilty in $13 Million Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving 2 Million Doses of Oxycodone

A former South Florida resident pled guilty, yesterday, for his participation in a $13 million money laundering conspiracy involving more than 2 million dosage units of oxycodone.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, Albert Arenal, Chief, Coconut Creek Police Department, and Daniel C. Alexander, Chief, Boca Raton Police Department, made the announcement.

Pasquale Gervasio pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering involving criminally derived property valued greater than $10,000, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(h) and 1957.  At sentencing, Gervasio faces up to ten years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. 

According to court documents, between March 2010 and June 2011, Gervasio and his co-conspirators operated six pain clinics in Broward and Palm Beach counties with the purpose of unlawfully dispensing oxycodone that had not been prescribed for a legitimate medical purpose. Approximately 2,007,695 oxycodone 30 mg pills were dispensed and distributed through the pain clinics before they were closed following the execution of search warrants in June 2011. Gervasio and his co-conspirators operated the clinics to ensure that the maximum amount of Oxycodone would be prescribed without regard to a legitimate medical need, and purely for the sake of profit.  The pain clinics failed to comply with Florida standards for the use of controlled substances.  The pain clinics generated approximately $13,466,598 from the unlawful prescribing and dispensing of oxycodone.  

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises. 

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, the DEA, Boca Raton Police Department. PBSO and Coconut Creek Police Department.  Mr. Ferrer also recognized the South East Regional Task Force (SERTF) and the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office Multi-Agency Diversion Task Force (PBSO MAADTF).  SERTF is headed by the DEA and includes representatives from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Pembroke Pines Police Department, Hallandale Beach Police Department, Lauderhill Police Department, Margate Police Department, and Coconut Creek Police Department.  PBSO MAADTF is headed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and includes representatives from the Boca Raton Police Department, Boynton Beach Police Department, DEA, Delray Beach Police Department, Florida Department of Health, Greenacres Police Department, IRS-CI, Jupiter Police Department, Riviera Beach Police Department, Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, PBSO, Palm Beach Gardens Police Department and West Palm Beach Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald F. Chase, II.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.