A staggering 24 individuals have been hit with federal charges for their alleged role in a massive prescription pill conspiracy in Tennessee.
The indictment, unsealed last week, accuses the defendants of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribute diverted prescription pills, announced David Rivera, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The diverted pills contained the controlled substances Oxycodone, Hydromorphone, Oxymorphone, and Buprenorphine. The respective brand names for the pills containing those controlled substances are Roxicodone, Dilaudid, Opana, Oxymorphone, and Subutex.
Painkiller addiction has become an epidemic in the United States, with Tennessee ranking prescription drug abuse and diversion as the number one drug threat in the state.
The investigation, a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local agencies, has resulted in the arrest of the defendants and the execution of nine federal search warrants.
The defendants, who face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, include Kenneth Edward Stafford, Kacee Anne Breeden, Rashad Woodside, Nicholas Adam Young, and 18 others.
The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent A. Hannafan in this case, which serves as a stark reminder of the need for continued cooperation between law enforcement agencies to combat the prescription pill epidemic.
Related Federal Cases
- United States v. John Doe, Prescription Drug Trafficking, Tennessee 2022 · Kentucky
- Tennessee’s Prescription Pill Epidemic: DEA Cracks Down · Tennessee
- DEA, Community Partners Hold Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Kentucky 2016 · Kentucky
- Jeremy Edwards, Drug Trafficking, Tennessee 2020 · Alabama
- Anthony Hines, Drug Trafficking, Tennessee 2025 · Arizona
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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