Sacramento Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty in Idaho

BOISE – Jalin Russell-Halfacre, a 22-year-old from Sacramento, California, has been hit with serious charges after pleading guilty to obtaining controlled substances by fraud. The U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson made the announcement, revealing that Russell-Halfacre was indicted by a federal grand jury back in April 2016.

Russell-Halfacre’s criminal adventure began when he traveled to Boise, Idaho in February 2015, using fraudulent prescriptions to illegally secure Phenergan with codeine—a schedule V controlled substance. The authorities were quick on their heels, tracking Russell-Halfacre and his co-defendant, Breya Green, as they hit multiple pharmacies across the city.

When police confronted the doctor who was supposed to have authorized the prescriptions, it turned out to be a setup: the doctor had not issued the scripts. Further investigation uncovered blank prescription paper and evidence that the codeine cough syrup was being peddled elsewhere.

The charge of obtaining controlled substances by fraud carries a heavy penalty, with up to four years in prison, a fine reaching $250,000, and a year of supervised release awaiting Russell-Halfacre. He is set to be sentenced on January 10, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.

Russell-Halfacre’s accomplices are not off the hook either. Breya Green, along with Torrie Garrett and Jazmine Lockhart—all facing their own charges—will go to trial on October 31, 2016.

This sordid tale of prescription fraud was unraveled by a joint effort of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), showcasing the relentless pursuit of justice in the battle against drug trafficking and white-collar crime.