The U.S. Postal Service may be struggling, but three people from West Virignia were making bank by mailing prescription drugs from Florida to the mountain state.
Christopher Brooks, 36, and his wife Jennifer Brooks, 29, of Glen Fork pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday, Feb. 28 to charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone and Money Laundering. The two made the pleas in front of Judge Irene Berger in Beckley.
The two admitted that they received more than 17,000 30-milligram Oxycodone pills through the United States Postal Service express mail in exchange for $300,000 that was deposited into bank accounts owned by what U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin called "a known individual" in Tampa, Fla. The exchanges took place from March 2010 until April 27, 2012. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks also admitted that from Oct. 13, 2010 to April 27, 2012 they received 130 express mail packages.
"When tens of thousands of painkillers are illegally mailed in just over a year's time, it says something about the extent of this district's pill problem," said Goodwin. " My office will continue to spare no effort to pursue pill dealers who fuel this epidemic."
Christopher and Jennifer Brooks each face up to 40 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine. They will be sentenced on June 19.
A Nicholas County man, Keith Keiffer, 32, of Calvin also pleaded guilty in front of Judge Berger on Thursday, Feb. 28. The charges in that case there Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Keiffer admitted that he received 15 express mail packages from Aug. 31, 2011 to April 27, 2012. Those packages had around 1,400 30-milligram Oxycodone pills from the "known individual" in Tampa, Fla. Keiffer paid $30,000 for the drugs that were mailed to him. He also admitted that he received 4,150 Oxycodone pills that were hand-delivered from the "known individual" who made at least five trips from Florida to West Virignia.
Keiffer also faces a 40 year prison sentence and a $1.5 million dollar fine. His sentence is scheduled for June 25.
The investigations were conducted by the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wyoming County Sheriff's Department.
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