Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Katrina W. Berger, the Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”); William S. Walker, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of HSI; Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the DEA; and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the unsealing of charges against FRANCISCO ALBERTO LOPEZ REYES, a/k/a “Frank,” and 17 other defendants located in the United States, Dominican Republic, and India for their involvement in a scheme to advertise, sell, manufacture, and ship millions of deadly pills disguised as legitimate pharmaceuticals. These counterfeit pills were purchased by tens of thousands of victims from fake online pharmacies run by LOPEZ REYES and his co-conspirators. At least nine of those victims later died of narcotics poisoning. Federal authorities have seized nine website domains used by the defendants and their co-conspirators to sell counterfeit pills, four of which are named in the Indictment. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan. (Read More)
The Virginia SMP 