Rhonda Musallam, Oxycodone Distribution, New Jersey 2017
Newark, New Jersey – In a disturbing case of oxycodone distribution, Rhonda Musallam, 41, of Fairview, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging her with one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
Musallam's guilty plea comes after an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) uncovered a conspiracy in which members and suppliers secured prescriptions for oxycodone and other controlled substances from various doctors in New Jersey, filled them at pharmacies in Belleville and elsewhere, and sold the drugs for a profit.
According to documents filed in the case, Musallam admitted to supplying oxycodone pills to members of the conspiracy and others between June 10, 2014, and July 18, 2014. She specifically stated that on a day in June 2014, she sold 70 oxycodone-containing pills in exchange for $1,000.
The charges to which Musallam pleaded guilty carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing for Musallam is scheduled for December 19, 2018.
Musallam was not the only one to plead guilty in connection with the conspiracy. Robert O'Brien, 60, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on August 15, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. O'Brien admitted to obtaining and paying for filled prescriptions of oxycodone-containing pills on behalf of members of the conspiracy between February 5, 2014, and August 13, 2014.
The investigation identified 16 people who were charged in connection with the conspiracy. Of those, 15 have been convicted, including the leader, Victoria Horvath, who was sentenced on October 20, 2016, to 92 months in prison. Charges against the 16th defendant were dismissed after his death in April 2015.
Oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse and is currently accepted for medical use with severe restrictions.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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