Health
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The California Department of Justice's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement initiated the investigation after conducting numerous border stops of members of the drug trafficking organization, some of whom were validated gang members.
The group would acquire wholesale quantities of controlled pharmaceutical drugs, such as OxyContin and Hydrocodone, smuggle the drugs to Mexico where they were sold, and then smuggle the cash back into the United States to finance their criminal operations.
“Prescription drug diversion is a growing challenge for law enforcement, and one increasingly coordinated by well-funded criminal organizations,” said Attorney General Harris. “The people of California are safer now that our brave law enforcement officers have disrupted and dismantled this prescription drug diversion network.”
Anthony Wright, the leader of the organization, boasted that he earned $1,000 a day for the several years the operation was running. In the San Diego area, the organization brought upwards of $400,000 into the United States from Mexico in just a six-month period.
Since 2009, numerous border stops have been conducted on members of the drug trafficking organization, resulting in the seizure of approximately 1,288 OxyContin pills and 9,500 Hydrocodone pills, with an estimated street value of $78,000.
Wright, the primary source for this drug trafficking organization, frequented Dabney's Pharmacy in South Central Los Angeles, which is believed to have provided large quantities of Hydrocodone and other controlled substances pharmaceuticals without reporting the transactions to the California Department of Justice's Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement.
This pharmacy has failed to report filling any scheduled prescriptions to the state's prescription monitoring program since November 2009, as required by state regulations.
Agents also believe Wright acquired significant amounts of pharmaceutical controlled drugs by utilizing a large network of individuals to obtain prescriptions in return for money.
The controlled substance pharmaceutical drugs were acquired from San Diego, Riverside and Los Angeles counties through drug diversion programs, and prescription and insurance fraud. The pharmaceuticals were then smuggled into Tijuana, Mexico, where they were sold to illicit pharmacies. The traffickers smuggled the money back into the United States and used it to continue financing criminal activities.
Additionally, approximately $66,200 has been seized from members of the drug trafficking organization upon re-entry into the United States and Fatina Hicks and Derrick Belser were arrested on felony warrants for the transportation of controlled substances pharmaceuticals.
Five federal indictments were unsealed today, and earlier this month nine felony arrest warrants were issued by the Los Angeles and San Diego District Attorney's offices.
Other agencies participating in the investigation include Homeland Security Immigration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, the Los Angeles and San Diego Counties District Attorney's Offices, the California Department of Health Services, California Board of Pharmacy, and Los Angeles Police and Oceanside Police Departments, San Diego County Sheriff's Department, California Medical Board, Drug Enforcement Administration and the LA County Sheriff's Office.
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The Lake County Tobacco Education Program, a program of Lake Family Resource Center, is pleased to announce that for a limited time, the California Smokers’ Helpline is sending callers from Lake County free nicotine patches.
Eligible tobacco users who call 1-800-NO-BUTTS and enroll in the free telephone-based quitting program will receive a free two-week starter kit of patches, while supplies last.
“The Helpline has already served over half a million smokers,” said Christopher Anderson, the Helpline’s Program Director. “We hope this new opportunity will motivate even more people to give quitting a try.”
The patches are an FDA-approved treatment proven to help smokers kick the habit. They release nicotine into the bloodstream through the skin, reducing withdrawal symptoms and slowly weaning smokers off nicotine.
Lake County was one of 34 counties in California selected to participate in this program. All 34 counties have an adult smoking prevalence rate of 14 percent or higher, according to the 2008 California Tobacco Survey; the rate is 16 percent in Lake County.
In comparison, the 2010 statewide adult smoking rate is 11.9 percent.
This new program is part of a nationwide effort called Communities Putting Prevention to Work, which aims to improve health and lower medical costs by preventing disease, such as those caused by tobacco use.
“Helpline counseling doubles smokers’ chance of success in quitting,” said Anderson. “People who use both counseling and a quitting aid, such as the patch, have the best chance of quitting for good. So now is a perfect time to make that call and get started.”
The free patches will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to those who call 1-800-NO-BUTTS.
Callers to the Smokers’ Helpline may receive free one-on-one support from a trained cessation counselor, a self-help booklet and referral to local quit-smoking programs. It is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Helpline has specialized services for pregnant smokers, tobacco chewers and teens. All services are available in multiple languages:
1-800-NO-BUTTS – English
1-800-45-NO-FUME – Spanish
1-800-838-8917 – Mandarin and Cantonese
1-800-556-5564 – Korean
1-800-778-8440 – Vietnamese
If you would like more information about the program, call Lake Family Resource Center, Tobacco Education Program, at 707-262-1379, Extension 113 or the California Smokers Helpline at 1-800-NO-BUTTS, email
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The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) advises that rabies in bats is rare – affecting less than 1 percent of the state’s entire bat population – and as long as basic precautions are followed, the few afflicted bats are highly unlikely to pass the disease to humans.
“Although bats get a bad rap in folklore, humans are actually a bigger threat to them than they are to us,” said DFG Associate Wildlife Veterinarian Deana Clifford. “Bats provide great benefits to humans, including insect control and plant pollination, but people tend to overlook the important role they play in our ecosystem. By being ‘bat smart’ and not disturbing or touching bats, people can help ensure the survival of the species, which will ultimately be to our benefit as well.”
Statistically speaking, the risk of contracting rabies from a bat is far less than the risk of dying from a bicycle accident, lightning strike or dog attack.
To minimize the risk of contracting the disease, never pick up grounded bats as those animals are likely sick. People who have come into contact with a bat or have found a sick or dead bat should contact their local health department or animal control department.
Also be sure to keep your pets up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
Depending on the species and the time of year, bats can be found roosting in groups or individually in caves, mines, crevices, under bridges and in tree hollows. People are most likely to see bats at dusk, when they emerge from their roosts to seek water and their insect prey.
People may also encounter bats in buildings, where warm, quiet attic space is available for them to raise their young.
If a building owner can’t accommodate bats, the best solution for humans and bats alike is to humanely exclude them from their building roost after they’ve finished raising their young. That way, the bats can find other roosts in future years and continue to keep the insect population under control.
Installation of appropriately designed “bat boxes” can help give bats a place to roost that is away from your home.
All bats are protected species in California. Many species of bats worldwide are experiencing population declines, mainly due to human disturbance and loss of habitat.
A new threat to bats in North America is White Nose Syndrome (WNS), which has been reported among hibernating bats in several American states in the east and is spreading toward the West Coast.
WNS has killed more than one million bats in the affected region, and some bat species may be at risk of extinction due to this emerging deadly disease.
WNS does not pose a risk to human health, but can be carried on clothing and gear taken into affected caves and mines. DFG and other agencies are preparing for the potential spread of WNS into California, which may include precautions to reduce the risk of human-caused introduction or spread to unaffected bat hibernation sites.
If you want to learn more about what you can do to promote bat conservation, visit Bat Conservation International’s Web site at www.batcon.org.
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