SHERMAN, TX – The digital pill pushers have met their match. Five men were sentenced to federal prison this week for their roles in a sprawling online prescription drug trafficking ring operating in the Eastern District of Texas. The operation, which flooded the streets with dangerous and often counterfeit pharmaceuticals, has finally been dealt a blow, according to U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.
Khuda Balouch Buksh, 47, a Pakistani national residing in Duncanville, Texas, received 36 months in federal prison after pleading guilty on January 16, 2013, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Judge Marcia Crone handed down the sentence on January 24, 2014, and ordered Buksh’s deportation following his release. He wasn’t alone in his criminal enterprise.
Sikander Ali Teepu, 29, another Pakistani national, this one from Wantagh, NY, also pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge on August 26, 2013. He received 18 months in federal prison from Judge Crone on January 24, 2014. Haroon Ahmad Tanooli, 31, of Sugarland, Texas, faced the same fate, pleading guilty on August 13, 2013, and receiving an 18-month sentence from Judge Crone. The network was clearly widespread.
The sentences didn’t stop there. Mustajab Ali Raza, 28, from Brighton, MN, received 12 months and one day in prison on January 22, 2014, also with a deportation order following completion of his sentence. Saaim Aslam, 31, of Irvine, CA, received the same sentence from Judge Crone on the same date. Court records reveal the group conspired to import and distribute a cocktail of controlled substances – Methylphenidate, Amphetamine, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, alprazolam, and Diazapam – through a massive online pharmaceutical operation beginning in 2009. A grand jury returned a federal indictment on April 12, 2012, formally charging the defendants with federal drug trafficking violations.
“This sentencing demonstrates DEA’s commitment…to rid our communities here in North Texas of the sweeping epidemic of online prescription drug fraud and abuse,” stated Daniel R. Salter, Special Agent In Charge of the Dallas Field Division. “Enforcement entities nationwide are aggressively pursuing prosecutions of any individuals who attempt to import and distribute these adulterated, misbranded, and counterfeit controlled substances.” The IRS Criminal Investigation unit played a crucial role, tracing a complex web of international money laundering transactions. Damon Rowe, IRS CI Special Agent in Charge in Dallas, explained they used “financial expertise to follow the money.”
This takedown was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a multi-agency effort focused on dismantling major drug trafficking organizations. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stevan Buys. The bust serves as a stark warning: the dark web isn’t a safe haven for peddling poison. Those who profit from addiction will face the full force of the law.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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