U.S. Attorney Sharon L. Potter announced the start of "Operation: Pill Broker" Tuesday at a news conference at the Federal Building in Wheeling.
The initiative is aimed at investigating and prosecuting individuals involved in the illegal sale of prescription narcotics.
Potter was joined by Ohio County Sheriff Pat Butler and Wheeling Police Chief Kevin Gessler, Lieutenant D.R. Howell of the West Virginia State Police and Drug Enforcement Administration Group Supervisor Kenneth A. Winkie.
"According to a recent study, prescription drug overdose deaths in West Virginia increased by 550 percent between 1999 and 2004, the greatest for any state in the country," Potter said.
"That is an alarming statistic and, unfortunately, our office continues to see a steady increase in prescription drug abuse.
Through this initiative, we want to reverse that trend and hope that increased awareness of the problem will lead to more investigations of drug dealers who prey on those dependent on the drugs, but also lead to better educating the public about the dangers of abusing prescription pills."
Butler said "prescription drug overdoses were the leading cause of death in West Virginia for adults under the age of 45 ... and studies show that approximately 250,000 West Virginians used some sort of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons" in 2006.
Gessler noted that teens "abuse prescription drugs more than cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and speed because they believe that prescriptions are safer than other drugs.
In fact, one in five high school students admit to abusing medications not prescribed to him or her just to get high.
A combination of alcohol and these prescription drugs can be extremely dangerous to adults and children."
Potter said investigations are ongoing in the Northern District of West Virginia.
As part of Operation: Pill Broker, three local residents recently entered guilty pleas in federal court.
They were Freddie Blake, 51, of Indiana Street, Wheeling Island; Jeffrey Lucas, 40, of RD 2, Valley Grove; and Dennis Ludolph, 57, of Bellaire.
Lucas and Ludolph pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, which has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Blake admitted to distributing oxycodone within 1,000 feet of Madison School on Wheeling Island, which carries a sentence of at least one year and up to 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine. All three men are being detained pending sentencing hearings.
Potter said the cases stemmed from a joint investigation that began in mid-2008 between the West Virginia State Police, the DEA and the Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crime Task Force. Ludolph, Blake and Lucas were identified as individuals who obtained valid prescriptions for OxyContin pills every month but instead of using the pills as prescribed, the men sold a majority of the pills, approximately 3,500.
"Numerous witnesses stated that they bought oxycodone pills from the three defendants and often purchased the pills multiple times each month," Potter said.
"In addition to selling pills from their own prescriptions, the three would act as brokers, selling the other person's pills for a commission."
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