Senior Man - One of Many - Arrested for Dealing OxyContin
Harlem Doctor Charged with Writing Phony PrescriptionsOnce known for her work with drug addicts, 54-year-old Dr. Diana Williamson was accused of writing phony prescriptions for about 11,000 painkiller pills. The charges also alleged that the pills were bought with Medicaid benefits and then sold on the street. In addition to Dr. Williamson, eight other defendants were charged in a federal complaint with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and she and three others were charged with defrauding Medicaid out of nearly $1 million in the last year. Authorities said the group primarily bought and sold generic Oxycodone and brand name OxyContin pills. OxyContin is a highly addictive pain medication that is often sold on the black market for $20 to $40 per pill as a substitute for heroin and other illegal drugs. In the complaint, undercover agents said they paid Dr. Williamson $1,500 for a prescription for 120 OxyContin pills earlier in the year. Then, other undercover agents bought the pills from Dr. Williamsons coconspirators.
San Diego Pharmacy Armed at Gunpoint
The San Diego Sheriffs Department released surveillance photos of a man, armed with a silver revolver, who stole prescription drugs from a CVS Pharmacy in Encinitas last week. During the heist, the robber, who was described as 25 to 35 years old, grabbed a plastic trash can and demanded the pharmacist fill it with medication, including OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and Norco.
Senior Arrested on Drug Charges
A 63-year-old Albany man was accused of dealing drugs from an operation based inside the senior housing complex where he lived. The accused, Kermit Williams, had ten bags of heroin, as well as cocaine, OxyContin pills, bullets, and $3,800 in cash in his apartment in Albany, New York. The Albany County Sheriff's Department says the seniors supply of drugs came from New York City.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Charge Three with Multiple Drug Charges.
Two men, ages 52 and 39, and a woman, also 39, of Sudbury, Canada have been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime. When the apartment that the three shared was searched, authorities found approximately $1,020 in OxyContin pills and different types of drug paraphernalia, including the syringes. Officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police worked with the Greater Sudbury Police.
Father-Daughter Criminals Wanted
Sara A. Payne, 19, and William R. Payne, 48, are wanted by Spokane police after failing to appear in court to answer charges stemming from arrested last year. The father-daughter crime duo is suspected in a series of burglaries and then pawing the stolen property. Authorities believe William Payne pawned items to support his addiction to OxyContin and was charged with nine counts of first-degree trafficking in stolen property, two counts of second-degree burglary and two counts of second-degree theft. His daughter, Sara, was charged with four counts of second-degree burglary, two counts of third-degree theft, two counts of trafficking in stolen property, and single counts second-degree theft and second-degree malicious mischief.