OxyContin Smuggling Arrests - the Stamford Connection

"When a person cannot deceive himself -- the chances are against his being able to deceive other people." Mark Twain

Assist. U.S. attorney Rahul Kale, Brian Boyle - DEA, U.S. Attorney David B. Fein, Public Safety Comm. George Longworth and Stamford Police Chief Robert Nivakoff, announcing arrests of 20 people in a prescription painkiller trafficking ring that smuggled drugs through Florida and Westchester County airports. Photo: Helen Neafsey / Greenwich Time

(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) - So help answer this Assistant US Attorney Kale and US Attorney Fein -- "what's the difference" between the TSA agents and law enforcement officers accepting cash for illegal sale of OxyContin -- and a high ranking law enforcement officer being on the payroll of convicted felons, responsible for the Tsunami of OxyContin death and addiction throughout the country?

A story came out of Stamford, Connecticut this week concerning three federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, as well as two other law enforcement officers, arrested on charges of accepting cash or gift cards in exchange for moving tens of thousands of highly addictive painkiller pills - OxyContin - and cash from illegal sales.

What makes this story especially intriguing is that the headquarters office for the maker of OxyContin is based in Stamford, CT.

The TSA officers were based at airports in Florida and New York - and a Westchester County, NY police officer permitted the OxyContin through airport security. A Florida state trooper took in the cash and checks so dealers could move the pills and cash by car through the OxyContin ridden pill mill state. Their final destination of the OxyContin was the New England area where states are fighting a losing battle of death and addiction -- because the drug had been marketed as less likely to be addictive or abused -- and is mass manufactured by its maker, Purdue Pharma.

My question to the federal agencies involved in the arrest of these TSA officers and other law enforcement officers is why the stopover in Stamford, CT?

Why not travel to the final destination of the New England states?

“Prescription pain medication abuse is rampant in New England and this trafficking group allegedly preyed upon the addictions of individuals to line their pockets, while the law enforcement officers are alleged to have sold their badges and abused their authority to further the illegal activities of the organization,” said Steven W. Derr, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England.

The five, who were among 20 people arrested in connection with the alleged scheme, face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

“In these times, no one needs to be reminded about how dangerous it is when officers who have sworn to uphold the law accept money to ‘look the other way,’” said U.S. Attorney David Fein.

The arrests stem from a DEA investigation dubbed “Operation Blue Coast.”

Authorities received information that someone possessing a large quantity of OxyContin was traveling from Palm Beach, Fla. to Stamford, Conn. to sell thousands of OxyContin pills. On April 8, the DEA arrested the man, who had about 6,000 OxyContin pills, in a Stamford hotel, prosecutors said.

The arrested man revealed that over the past year he had regularly purchased thousands of OxyContin pills from suppliers in Florida, transported the OxyContin to Stamford, Connecticut by plane or car and sold the pills to Connecticut-based drug dealers. He flew from Florida to New York more than 65 times, according to an affidavit.

In February 2010 I wrote an article regarding Purdue Pharma's setting up a website called RX Patrol which is monitored by Police Captain Richard Conklin of the Stamford Police Department. The RX Patrol link is provided below. The captain is employed quite lucratively by the Stamford Police Department at an annual salary for the past several years of approximately $275,000. He is also employed by Purdue Pharma to head up RX Patrol -- his salary is not made public. Finally, Conklin has set up a consulting business, Talon Consulting, LLC, run out of his personal residence in Norwalk, CT to monitor the statistics of prescription drug criminal activity with a salary of approximately $98,000 annually. This income is paid by an unknown entity.

This is taken from the RX Patrol website:

"In support of RxPATROL®, Purdue Pharma L.P. has secured the services of a senior law enforcement executive [Conklin] who will work independently to conduct intelligence analysis utilizing a leading incident analysis software platform capable of analyzing data, identifying trends and incorporating streaming video and CCTV photos.

The theft related data will be provided directly to RxPATROL® from the pharmacy community on all incidents of pharmacy theft involving controlled substances. RxPATROL® will in turn analyze the information and provide it to the respective law enforcement agencies for action as they deem appropriate.

RxPATROL® is designed to gather and disseminate critical information to help protect pharmacists, guard against potential robberies and assist law enforcement in their efforts to successfully apprehend and prosecute those involved in controlled substance pharmacy crime."

Why set up a consulting firm at home if Purdue Pharma is ultimately the gatekeeper of RX Patrol? In particular, why a limited liability corporation (LLC)? Because in an LLC, the member's (Conklin's) personal assets are protected from all claims against the company. Probably good thinking on Conklin's part since Purdue Pharma was criminally convicted in U.S. Federal court of misleading the country about the dangers of OxyContin and every state is currently enmeshed in an epidemic of death and addiction.

Does anyone question why Captain Conklin as a senior law enforcement official would be on the payroll of convicted felons -- Purdue Pharma?

Strange that with this big drug bust in the backyard of Purdue Pharma, and a press conference held at the Stamford Police Department, that Assistant U.S. Attorney Kale and US Attorney Fein did not include Captain Conklin, head of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, in the photo shown above in view of Conklin's involvement in the "drug bust business." But maybe the captain was getting caught up on some much needed sleep after wearing all those hats and working so many jobs.

Getting back to my original question at the beginning of this article to Assistant US Attorney Kale and US Attorney Fein -- "what's the difference"?

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/february072010/oxy_theft_ms.php

http://www.rxpatrol.com/

LP -- How can I not love you when you help me with the big words and never rebuke me as I wear my green beret -- sitting in my recliner chair?

Salem-News.com Reporter Marianne Skolek, is an Activist for Victims of OxyContin and Purdue Pharma throughout the United States and Canada. In July 2007, she testified against Purdue Pharma in Federal Court in Virginia at the sentencing of their three CEO's - Michael Friedman, Howard Udell and Paul Goldenheim - who pleaded guilty to charges of marketing OxyContin as less likely to be addictive or abused to physicians and patients. She also testified against Purdue Pharma at a Judiciary Hearing of the U.S. Senate in July 2007. Marianne works with government agencies and private attorneys in having a voice for her daughter Jill, who died in 2002 after being prescribed OxyContin, as well as the voice for scores of victims of OxyContin. She has been involved in her work for the past 8-1/2 years and is currently working on a book that exposes Purdue Pharma for their continued criminal marketing of OxyContin.

Marianne is a nurse having graduated in 1991 as president of her graduating class. She also has a Paralegal certification. Marianne served on a Community Service Board for the Courier News, a Gannet newspaper in NJ writing articles predominantly regarding AIDS patients and their emotional issues. She was awarded a Community Service Award in 1993 by the Hunterdon County, NJ HIV/AIDS Task Force in recognition of and appreciation for the donated time, energy and love in facilitating a Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS.

Marianne Skolek
National Activist for Victims of OxyContin and
Purdue Pharma - a criminally convicted pharmaceutical company
Staff Writer, Salem-News.com

www.purduepharma.com/pressroom/app/news_announc/USGovt_reponse_Main.pdf

http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?id=2905&wit_id=6612

i.bnet.com/blogs/sebelius-response.pdf

http://www.vawd.uscourts.gov/PurdueFrederickCo/default.asp