Latest news with #oxycodone
CBC
26-05-2025
- CBC
Saskatoon pharmacist sentenced to 5 years in prison for drug trafficking
The former owner and operator of a Saskatoon pharmacy pleaded guilty Monday to trafficking drugs, admitting she illegally sold more than 22,000 oxycodone pills. Jenna Ternan, 43, was sentenced to five years in prison for what Justice David Gerecke called an "appalling breach of trust" that "led you to harm many individuals you will never meet." He made the comments while accepting the joint sentencing proposal in Saskatoon Court of King's Bench from the Crown and defence. According to an agreed statement of facts filed in court, police started investigating Ternan after they arrested a man in January 2023 and seized drugs from him that included oxycodone pills and a box with a label for Northumberland Pharmacy, which Ternan owned and operated. The man's cellphone also contained messages between him and Ternan that talked about exchanging drugs for money. Police ultimately determined Ternan sold more than 22,200 pills, valued between $58,000 and $87,400, between September 2022 and January 2023, Crown prosecutor Kirsten Janis said in court. Ternan was arrested in March 2023, along with her common-law partner of eight years, Elmer Hanson. Hanson was also charged, but he died before going to trial. Defence lawyer Will Louison said Ternan "kind of got caught up" in the drug trafficking and it's been hard for her to pinpoint how it started. He described how Ternan's partner, Hanson, struggled with a drug addiction and had a chronic injury that affected his ability to work — and then Hanson became addicted to the opioids he had been prescribed. Ternan supported Hanson financially and employed him at the pharmacy after he could no longer work in construction. Hanson also developed a gambling addiction. While the drug trafficking was partly Hanson's idea, Ternan accepts her role and acknowledges what she was doing was wrong, Louison said. Case law shows the range of sentences for pharmacists who traffic drugs is between three and 14 years, but the longer sentences have involved fentanyl, which is considered a more dangerous drug, the judge noted. Gerecke said the breach of trust is a "very weighty factor," but agreed that five years was an appropriate sentence.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mass. brothers charged with firearm, drug offenses
BOSTON (WWLP) – Two brothers from Lynn were arrested and charged last Thursday in connection with firearm and drug distribution crimes. The charging documents stated that in 2024, 38-year-old Maurice Bennett was identified by law enforcement as a member of the Bloods street gang in Lynn. Maurice also had prior convictions for violent crimes related to firearms. West Roxbury woman charged with DUI in Vermont Investigators were able to intercept text messages between Maurice and his brother, 29-year-old Meliek Bennett, in which they allegedly coordinated the distribution of drugs such as marijuana, counterfeit pills, prescription medication, and cocaine. The messages also allegedly discussed sharing drug customers and supplies, and taking a trip to New Hampshire to sell substances there together. In September 2024, investigators obtained a recorded conversation in which Meliek allegedly said that he planned to use a silenced pistol to shoot up a drug supplier's residence and potentially murder the supplier. Meliek said through texts with Maurice and on the recording that he owed the drug supplier a debt after the supplier had beaten him up. Shortly afterward, officers executed a search warrant at Meliek's residence in Lynn, where they located a .22 caliber pistol with a threaded barrel and ammunition. They also found fentanyl tablets, oxycodone, gabapentin, and marijuana. Meliek and Maurice were charged last Thursday by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Meliek was also charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The brothers will be sentenced at a later date and could face up to 20 years in prison and at least five years of supervised release. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Owners of Pace Pharmacy arrested on pill mill, drug trafficking allegations
The two owners and an employee of a Pace pharmacy were arrested May 14 on prescription drug trafficking charges, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement news release. Pace Pharmacy pharmacists Stephen Allen Burklow and David Barron Winkles, along with pharmacy office manager Monique Burklow, the were the subject of a multi-year, multi-agency investigation led by FDLE. They are charged with conspiring to traffic prescription drugs including trafficking over 22 kilograms (48 pounds) of oxycodone, over 26 kilograms (57 pounds) of hydrocodone and just shy of one kilogram of hydromorphone, according to FDLE. The Burklows are the owners of Pace Pharmacy LLC. FDLE's investigation began in December 2020, after learning that a local obstetrician-gynecologist, later identified as Dr. Elaine Sharp, was writing an excessive amount of controlled substance prescriptions and recommending her patients fill the prescriptions at Pace Pharmacy. During this same time, FDLE was working jointly with multiple state, local and federal agencies to investigate numerous allegations of a pill mill operation in the area. Who is Elaine Sharp? Gulf Breeze doctor allegedly prescribed over 400K oxycodone, laundered over $1M in profits Agents say the Burklows and Winkles accepted and dispensed illicit prescriptions (including oxycodone, hydromorphone and hydrocodone) outside the course of professional practice and not intended for medical purpose or need. Additionally, Stephen Burklow, through the Pace Pharmacy, allegedly billed multiple insurance companies, using various physicians' National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers without their knowledge or consent to do so, for prescriptions that may or may not have been provided to patients. The trio were arrested without incident and booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail. Stephen Burklow, 54, of Pace, was arrested on conspiracy to traffic oxycodone, conspiracy to traffic hydrocodone, conspiracy to traffic hydromorphone, conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and five counts of identity theft. Winkles, 69, of Pace, was arrested on conspiracy to traffic schedule II-controlled substances and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Monique Burklow, 58, of Pace, was arrested on conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to sell controlled substances. The investigation was led by FDLE with assistance from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Financial Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security Investigations. The cases will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit, and the investigation remains active. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Stephen Burklow Monique Burklow of Pace Pharmacy face pill mill arrest
CTV News
14-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
B.C. opioid rules were to reduce overdoses. But they cut cancer patients' pain meds
Prescription pills containing oxycodone and acetaminophen are shown in Toronto, Dec. 23, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Wales man sentenced to prison for distributing fentanyl
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Wales man was sentenced to prison last month for possessing multiple illicit controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni announced the conviction and sentencing of 37-year-old Christopher Anderson of Wales on Tuesday. This sentencing follows charges Anderson faced in 2022 in Monson. Chicopee man sentenced for deadly crash on Route 9 in Belchertown The charging documents stated that on November 9, 2022, a sergeant was monitoring traffic on Wilbraham Road in Monson at approximately 9:24 p.m. He saw a Chevy Impala speeding between 60 and 65 mph in a posted 40 mph zone, and activated his emergency lights and siren while entering traffic. The vehicle continued slowly but eventually stopped, and the sergeant witnessed movement between the two individuals in the vehicle. The driver, identified as Anderson, apologized for speeding and told the sergeant that the vehicle was registered to his mother. He said that he and his friend were traveling from the dispensary. The Hampden DA's Office said that Anderson showed the sergeant a kit commonly used to consume marijuana. The kit contained rolling papers and a scale with cocaine residue on it. Upon further investigation, the sergeant found that Anderson's license was suspended. Anderson was arrested for operating under suspension and exited the vehicle. The sergeant saw a billy club in the driver's door pocket and searched Anderson and the vehicle for weapons. In Anderson's pockets, officers found a second scale with white residue on it resembling cocaine, three full wax heroin bags, one open wax bag with a cut straw, a blue flip-phone, and $2,763 in cash. Officers searching the vehicle found multiple cut snorting straws with white residue, a small glass vial of cocaine, two pocket knives, a third digital scale, 258 bags of fentanyl, seven grams of crack cocaine, three grams of powdered cocaine, five oxycodone pills, and one diazepam pill. Anderson was charged with: Unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (Class A, fentanyl) Unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (Class A, heroin) Unlawful possession of a Class B controlled substance (oxycodone) Unlawful possession of a Class C controlled substance (diazepam) On April 11, 2025, Anderson was sentenced to three and a half to four years in state prison. He was also sentenced to one year of incarceration to run concurrently to his state prison sentence. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
