Richard West II Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone Conspiracy

Richard Winston West II, aka Richie West, the former manager of Jones-West Ford in Reno, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and possession with intent to distribute the powerful opioid. The 40-year-old admitted to orchestrating a years-long pill scheme alongside a licensed physician and employees from his dealership, flooding the Reno community with hundreds of high-dose painkillers meant for profit, not patients.

West is one of nine defendants charged in a May 11, 2016 indictment that exposed a sprawling network of illegal prescription drug distribution. According to court filings, from November 2012 to April 2016, West conspired with Dr. Robert Gene Rand, 53, of Rand Family Care in Reno, to obtain oxycodone prescriptions without legitimate medical purpose. West distributed at least 500 oxycodone pills—30 milligrams each—and used text messages to coordinate deliveries with co-defendants, many of whom were employees at the Ford dealership.

U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden didn’t mince words: “Prescription drug abuse is a major public health and public safety issue. Nevada citizens should be concerned and be aware of its dangerous impact and effects.” Bogden emphasized federal collaboration with law enforcement to target “dirty doctors” and pill mills fueling the opioid epidemic. West’s case, he said, is exactly the kind of corruption the DOJ is determined to dismantle.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Steve Corner, Los Angeles field office, called the case a symptom of a national crisis. “Torn communities, broken homes and lost lives demonstrate vividly the fight we are engaged in,” Corner said. The DEA’s focus remains fixed on those profiting from addiction, particularly when medical professionals betray their oaths. West’s operation, though rooted in Reno, reflects the broader machinery of opioid trafficking now ravaging communities across the country.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse, Las Vegas field office, credited a multi-agency investigation that included federal, state, and local forces. “This case shows the seriousness the FBI places on the upward trend of opioid addiction supported by the unscrupulous acts of the very people who should be looking out for their patients’ best interests.” At the time of his arrest, West was found in possession of a Sig Sauer pistol, which prosecutors say was used in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.

Sentencing is set for May 8, 2017, where West faces up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. Meanwhile, co-defendants—including Dr. Rand, Omar Ahsan Ahmad, 31, Joshua Ross Green, 34, Clint Mitchell Bloodworth, 40, Kathleen Griffin, 43, Alan Russel Martinez, 59, Braden Kyle Riley, 40, and Ryan Daniel Smith, 40—remain charged in the same indictment. Rand also faces two additional counts: distribution of oxycodone resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl. Their jury trial begins April 25, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du. The CDC reports that in 2014 alone, nearly two million Americans abused or were dependent on prescription opioids—a statistic that cases like West’s only deepen.

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