New York Paralegal Blog

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Wilbert L. Plummer, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and Raymond Kelly of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), today announced charges against JULIO CESAR GUERRERO BRITO, HECTOR LUIS VARGAS-PAREDES, JONATHAN CRUZ, VIRGILIO ANTONIO DIAZ GARCIANO, RUBEN ALEXANDER SANTIAGO-GUILLERMO, PLINO RAMOS, EWARD DELROSARIO, AGUSTIN CABREA-GERMAN, and ARTURO LARA for conspiring to distribute oxycodone and oxymorphone. In a second complaint, JENNY GOMEZ, FELIX ABREU, and JOANNA FUERTES are charged with conspiring to distribute oxycodone and oxymorphone, and in a third complaint, WALID ZEYAD ASMAR and HECTOR JIMINEZ are charged with conspiring to distribute oxycodone. The defendants allegedly participated in the distribution of illegally diverted prescription pills through open-air, hand-to-hand, and car sales on certain blocks in U...

PHILADELPHIA—Christopher Vassalluzzo, D.O., 47, of New Hope, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to operate an office that was, in fact, a “pill mill” that distributed millions of prescription controlled substance diet drugs outside a professional practice. Vassalluzzo’s office, where he had others operate the pill mill while he worked at local hospitals, was located at 3000 Holme Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. In addition to the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances charge, Vassalluzzo pleaded guilty to mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, structuring, aggravated structuring, conspiracy to commit tax evasion, and tax evasion. Vassalluzzo was distributing prescription controlled substance diet drugs outside a professional practice. This illegal enterprise generated more than five million dollars in cash. In addition to admitting his guilt, Vassalluzzo has agreed to forfeit a beach home in New Jersey, a timeshare in Florida, and a...