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UK National Gets Time-Served for Role in Global Opiate Trafficking Ring
Burlington, VT – In a bizarre case of global opiate trafficking, 47-year-old Paul Bateman, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was sentenced to time-served in the United States District Court for his role in a high-stakes operation.
Bateman, who previously resided in Laos, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including opiates Tapentadol and Tramadol, as well as other prescription drugs. He was extradited from the United Kingdom to face charges.
According to court records, between 2015 and August 2019, Bateman worked with co-conspirators Samir Doshi and Rebecca Buckley to distribute controlled substances and other prescription drugs over the internet. The operation involved creating and maintaining websites that offered controlled substances and other drugs for sale, often without requiring a prescription.
Bateman was a search engine optimizer (SEO) responsible for improving the ranking of the websites in response to customer searches. He also worked with Buckley, who provided customer service and credit card processing for customer orders. The duo sold drugs such as Modafinil, a wakefulness-promoting drug that is a Schedule IV controlled substance, and prescription medications for erectile dysfunction.
Bateman’s co-conspirators, Doshi and Buckley, were previously sentenced in connection with the case. In February 2019, Doshi was sentenced to time served after serving six months in jail, and ordered to forfeit $20,000. Buckley was sentenced to five years of probation and forfeiture of $349,712.10 in September 2020.
Chief Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Bateman to time-served, with no supervision to follow, as the defendant is expected to be deported to the United Kingdom upon the completion of his sentence. The investigation was led by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshals Service.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of law enforcement, stating, ‘From behind their computer screens, Bateman and his co-conspirators were responsible for distributing dangerous opiates and unregulated, prescription drugs to consumers throughout the United States and across the globe for profit.’
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Key Facts
- State: Vermont
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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