Two Salt Lake City residents were sentenced to federal prison on Friday for their roles in a brazen scheme to fraudulently obtain and distribute oxycodone. Shannon Shuman, age 44, was handed an 84-month sentence, while James Sullivan, aged 36, received 72 months. Both will face supervised release of 36 months following their prison terms.
According to court records, Shuman admitted to preparing forged prescriptions for oxycodone between January 30, 2012, and June 19, 2012. She then provided these fake scripts to others, who used them to obtain the painkillers at pharmacies in Utah, often receiving cash or pills in return. Over 4,950 tablets of the powerful drug were linked directly to Shuman’s actions.
Sullivan, on the other hand, confessed to acquiring forged prescriptions from Shuman and distributing them to runners. He admitted to redistributing some of the oxycodone himself. Sullivan’s involvement led to the distribution of at least 4,500 tablets.
The convictions were a result of investigations by the Davis County Narcotics Strike Force and the DEA. A sentencing memorandum revealed that a total of 60 forged prescriptions corresponding to 9,270 oxycodone tablets were uncovered in the Davis County investigation. At least 25 runners were identified, with Shuman accompanying several of them to pharmacies.
During DEA’s investigation, they discovered an additional 7,080 oxycodone prescriptions and identified 27 different runners. Many runners cooperated with investigators, leading to a thorough dismantling of the fraudulent prescription scheme.
In arguing for the sentences, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Lund emphasized the severe nature of the crime in light of the ongoing oxycodone epidemic, stating that the penalties should serve as a deterrent against future criminal conduct.
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Key Facts
- State: Utah
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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