Three Chinese Nationals, Former Penn. Deputy Sheriff Charged In International Mail-Order Drug Operation
Five overdose deaths are linked to the operation, which allegedly involved China-based websites where fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, was sold. Outlets also report on opioid news from Virginia and New Hampshire.
The Wall Street Journal:
Three Chinese Nationals Charged With Fentanyl Trafficking
Three Chinese nationals worked with a former deputy sheriff in Pennsylvania to run an international mail-order drug operation linked to five overdose deaths in the U.S., state and federal authorities said Tuesday. The Chinese nationals, using an alias, allegedly ran websites based in China that offered users fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. The drugs were then shipped to a storage facility in Pennsylvania rented by David Landis, a former deputy sheriff in suburban Philadelphia, according to William M. McSwain, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. (Ansari, 10/1)
The Associated Press:
Virginia Doctor Faces Up To Life In Prison In Opioid Case
A Virginia doctor who was convicted of more than 800 counts of illegally prescribing opioids faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Dr. Joel Smithers, of Greensboro, North Carolina, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. Smithers was convicted in May of illegally distributing opioids, including oxycodone and oxymorphone that caused the death of a West Virginia woman. (10/2)
New Hampshire Union Leader:
Talk Of Requiring IDs For Help At Safe Station Turns Heated
A discussion on the status of the Safe Station program turned heated at City Hall Tuesday night, after some aldermen raised the idea of asking firefighters to check IDs of individuals seeking help with addiction at local firehouses, as a way to ensure Manchester residents are being helped. In August, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig held a news conference where she demanded the state open more treatment and support options in New Hampshire for those battling opioid addiction and other substance abuse disorders. (Feely, 10/1)
