PROVIDENCE, RI – Jack A. Hoogasian, 44, of Johnston, Rhode Island, has confessed to running a dangerous operation: trafficking heroin and churning out counterfeit oxycodone pills. Hoogasian pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to possession with the intent to distribute heroin and possession of a pill press – a machine used to manufacture fake narcotics. This isn’t just about drugs; it’s about poisoning our streets with potentially lethal counterfeits.
The case, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, began to unravel in May 2016. The Rhode Island State Police Intelligence Unit received information that Hoogasian was manufacturing and selling these fake pills directly from his home. Investigators didn’t wait for a confession; they went undercover. On two separate occasions, they purchased pills from Hoogasian – blue pills stamped with ‘A 215’, the identifying mark for 30mg oxycodone hydrochloride.
But these weren’t legitimate prescriptions. Initial field tests revealed the first batch of pills contained amphetamine. A forensic specialist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations confirmed the pills were entirely counterfeit. The second batch was even more alarming: a deadly mix of heroin and amphetamine. Hoogasian wasn’t just cutting corners; he was playing Russian roulette with the lives of those addicted to opioids.
On May 17, 2016, the State Police raided Hoogasian’s residence. The search uncovered a fully operational counterfeit pill lab in the basement. Authorities seized 22 blue ‘A 215’ pills, three large bags of powder, and the pill press itself. Another 49 counterfeit pills were found in the garage. The evidence painted a clear picture: Hoogasian was a full-scale, small-time pharmaceutical criminal.
Hoogasian is now facing a harsh reckoning. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2017, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith. A conviction for possession with the intent to distribute heroin carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and a term of supervised release ranging from 3 years to life. Possession of the pill press adds another potential year in prison, a $1,000 fine, and up to a year of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard W. Rose and Lee H. Vilker are prosecuting the case. Dambruch and Assumpico extended their gratitude to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations for their crucial assistance in dismantling this dangerous operation. This case serves as a stark reminder that the opioid crisis isn’t just about prescriptions; it’s fueled by criminals willing to profit from addiction, even if it means peddling deadly fakes.
RELATED: James Leads Charge to Shield Haitian Immigrants from Deportation
RELATED: Home Depot Heist: NY Man Admits to $200K Theft Spree
Related Federal Cases
- Rhode Island Duo Sentenced for International Heroin, Cocaine Trafficking · Massachusetts
- Rhode Island Heroin Trafficker Lands 36 Months Behind Bars · Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Duo Faces Life for Record Heroin Seizure · Massachusetts
- Rafael Lara Sanquintin Admits to Leading Heroin, Cocaine Ring · Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Decades in Fentanyl Trafficking Ring · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking