Delbert Lapsley, Prescription Painkiller Trafficking, West Virginia 2013

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man has been held accountable for his role in the ongoing opioid epidemic in West Virginia.

Delbert Lapsley, 48, pleaded guilty to distribution of oxymorphone, also known as ‘Opana,’ in federal court in Charleston. Lapsley admitted to illegally selling the prescription painkiller at or near Charleston on August 2, 2011.

Lapsley faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on June 12, 2013, by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

The investigation into Lapsley’s activities was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Monica Coleman is in charge of the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers in communities across the Southern District.

Lapsley’s guilty plea is a significant blow to those involved in the illicit sale of prescription painkillers, and highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to hold accountable those who contribute to the opioid crisis.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Drug Trafficking

Mary Aronson, Oxycodone Sales to Informant, Colorado 2024

May 22, 2019

Drug Trafficking

Christian Caballero, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine, Massachusetts 2024

Jun 3, 2024

Drug Trafficking

Adam R. Walker, Methamphetamine Possession, Illinois 2019

Jul 19, 2019

Drug Trafficking

Theresa Vocu, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, South Dakota 2013

Jun 22, 2015