New York Paralegal Blog

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, working jointly with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) partners arrested, arrested two suspected Dominican Republic smugglers Thursday. Law enforcement also seized a 20-foot yola (boat) and 155 pounds of cocaine, with an approximately street value of $1.6 million. The arrest followed a multi-agency at-sea interdiction in the Mona Passage. The crew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) aircraft detected two men aboard a suspicious yola traveling towards Puerto Rico during a law enforcement patrol Thursday afternoon, approximately 30 nautical miles southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. U.S. Coast Guard in Sector San Juan proceeded to notify and divert several assets to approach the suspect vessel.

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...