Rochester Men Copped to Oxycodone Ring

Three Rochester men are facing federal charges in a 20-month oxycodone trafficking scheme that flooded the streets with hundreds of Schedule II pills. Daniel Volonino, Jr., 29, Ronald Lockwood, 43, and Michael Ingham, 23, were arrested Thursday morning and slapped with a criminal complaint charging them with conspiracy to distribute and distributing oxycodone. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, the operation began in October 2016 when Lockwood, armed with a legitimate prescription for 500 30 mg oxycodone pills per month, allegedly began selling them on the side. A break came when law enforcement received an anonymous letter accusing Lockwood of selling pills to ‘someone named Dan—last name unknown.’ That tip lit the fuse on a joint investigation by the DEA and the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

Surveillance, GPS tracking, and a court-authorized search of Lockwood’s phone messages quickly identified Daniel Volonino, Jr. as the primary buyer. Investigators then turned their gaze on Volonino, whose movements led them straight to Michael Ingham, whom they say was deeply embedded in the distribution network. Texts and physical surveillance painted a picture of a tightly run pill mill operation run out of Rochester’s underground economy.

On Thursday, the feds moved in. All three defendants were arrested in coordinated takes across the city. Cops seized 498 oxycodone pills, a thick stack of cash, and the Cadillac Escalade driven by Volonino—assets now in federal custody pending forfeiture proceedings. The arrests capped a probe that relied heavily on digital forensics and old-school stakeouts.

Volonino, Lockwood, and Ingham appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson later that afternoon. Despite the serious charges, all three were released pending further court proceedings. Prosecutors are reviewing additional evidence as the case builds toward a potential indictment.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration under Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, the FBI under Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen, and the NYS Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, directed by Eric Schneiderman. As of now, the defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

RELATED: Deported Dominican Dealer Back in Fed Lockup