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Investigation of illegal prescriptions lead to arrests
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More from Breaking NewsA year-long investigation that began when local pharmacies alerted authorities to illegal prescriptions for Oxycontin and Vicodin, ended last week with the arrest of seven people, all alleged members of a drug-trafficking gang.
The gang allegedly stole the identities of doctors to write prescriptions for more than 11,000 pills "of highly addictive drugs" such as Oxycontin and Vicodin, states a press release sent out by the California Department of Justice.
"Pharmacies, including some in Simi Valley, noticed that these prescriptions were not being written by doctors," said Ernesto Limon, a special agent supervisor with the California Department of Justice in San Diego.
Beginning in August 2007, the pharmacies notified Simi Valley Police of the counterfeit prescriptions, Limon said.
He said investigators worked with the pharmacies to track down those trying to get the prescriptions filled.
Investigators focused their attention on Ricky Washington, a Palmdale man authorities say has a violent history and previous drug-trafficking arrests. Investigators allege Washington was the leader of the drug-trafficking gang.
They believe Washington and his cohorts also stole the identities of dozens of people, "designating them as patients' in order to fill the fraudulent prescriptions."
Law-enforcement agents served arrest and search warrants in Palmdale on Sept. 25, arresting Josalyn Morales, Beverly Carter, Richard West, Danesha Bentley, Natassha Diaz, Phylicia Mitchell and Washington. All are from Palmdale, Limon said.
Posted by vcsexplorer11 on September 30, 2008 at 6:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
First there was illegal aliens with human-trafficking and now theirs illegal prescriptions with drug-trafficking.
Say it isn't so.
Posted by thegreatpumpkin on September 30, 2008 at 8:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If I make a comment about a "Mexican" I'm going along with everyone else here. But if I make a comment about THIER race, I'll be labeled as a KKK member.
HA!
Posted by Thinkbeforeyoupost on September 30, 2008 at 8:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't get it? What has being a Mexican got to do with this story? I mean, Ricky Washington doesn't sound Hispanic to me. Get use to it people, the Hispanic culture is here to stay in CA. Their race was here first, and most of them are hard working good people. The only thing they have against them is the gang problem, but with the Majority of people in this State being Hispanic , it just stands to reason that the majority of gang members will be Hispanic. Go to Compton and you see the majority will be black. It is simple math!
Posted by keepin_it_real on September 30, 2008 at 8:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They are stupid now matter what race they are.
Posted by JACKSTER on September 30, 2008 at 8:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
pompton!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Madonna on September 30, 2008 at 11:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How do you know if he is a compton transplant? How do you know that he hasn't lived in palmdale all of his life. You guys are quick to bring up race in an article and make racist comments.
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