They hit pharmacies under cover of darkness, ripping off shelves of hydrocodone and flooding streets with deadly pills. JEREMY BALLEW, 43, of Tyler, Texas, and DANIELLE MONSERRATE, 40, of Rowlett, Texas, are now headed to federal prison for their roles in a violent, multi-state burglary spree that terrorized communities in Oklahoma and Kansas.
Ballew was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk on August 17, 2020, for the December 3, 2017, burglary of Nichols Hills Drug in Oklahoma City, and two Kansas pharmacy break-ins—Dandurand Pharmacy in Wichita and Sigler Pharmacy in Lawrence—both on October 29, 2017. All three terms run concurrently. Monserrate received 12 months and a day for acting as a lookout during the Nichols Hills and Dandurand heists, with her sentence also running concurrently. Both face three years of supervised release and steep restitution—$29,253.11 for Ballew, $7,325.00 for Monserrate.
The crimes began with shattered glass and ended with federal indictments. Ballew and Monserrate were initially charged February 19, 2019, with drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone. A superseding indictment on March 19, 2019, added counts of burglary involving controlled substances and aiding and abetting. Ballew pleaded guilty December 2, 2019, to one count in the Nichols Hills burglary and two counts tied to the Kansas jobs. Multiple drug charges were dropped as part of the plea deal.
Judge Palk didn’t mince words at sentencing. For Ballew, he cited a long criminal record, a severe addiction to painkillers, and a lack of effective treatment during prior Bureau of Prisons stints. The judge issued strong recommendations for intensive drug rehabilitation during incarceration. Monserrate, meanwhile, was called out for her chronic substance abuse and failure to comply while on pretrial release. The court stressed her role in unleashing dangerous drugs into already vulnerable communities.
The investigation was led by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad out of Oklahoma City, with critical support from DEA Fort Worth, local police in Oklahoma City, Lawrence and Wichita, Kansas, Irving, Texas, the Phelps County, Missouri Sheriff’s Department, and U.S. Marshals. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Petermann and Matt Anderson handled prosecution, aided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.
This case is a direct strike in the Justice Department’s nationwide campaign to dismantle opioid-related crime. Each stolen bottle of hydrocodone represents not just a breach of law, but a threat to public health. Ballew and Monserrate’s convictions send a message: those who loot pharmacies to feed the addiction epidemic will face federal time. Court records confirm all details; no plea was spared scrutiny.
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Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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