Indiana Family Members Sentenced for Oxycodone Conspiracy

CHARLESTON, W.V – A ruthless oxycodone conspiracy orchestrated by a family from Indiana has met its grim end in federal prison. Linda Vannatter, 74, of Hammond, and her son-in-law, Steven Jurick, 57, of Valparaiso, were handed down sentences that echo the severity of their crime.

Vannatter was sentenced to three years and a month for her role in the conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. Her son-in-law received two and a half years behind bars for his part. The pair admitted to conspiring with each other from January 2016 until April 13, 2016, to supply an individual in Logan County with the deadly painkillers.

The DEA-led investigation revealed that Vannatter sold 231 thirty-milligram and 17 twenty-milligram oxycodone pills to a confidential informant on March 15, 2016. Jurick followed suit by selling 150 thirty-milligram pills to the same informant on April 13, 2016.

Assistant United States Attorney John J. Frail prosecuted the case, while United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. This prosecution is part of a broader effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat prescription drug misuse and heroin addiction.

The commitment of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to shut down illegal pill trafficking and curtail opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District is unwavering. Follow the ongoing battle against this scourge on Twitter: @SDWVNews

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