flea
Enthusiast
Reged: 05/17/02
Posts: 276
Loc: Recently moved to Mid-West, bu...
|
|
http://www.msnbc.com/news/1000893.asp?0cv=CB10
I found this article as I was skimming through the MSNBC Website this evening. Normally I do not get too worried when I read these sort of articles, because I am no longer getting my pain medication(s) through ANY OP's.
However, if upon reading such articles, I happen to recognize any of the names being mentioned, or if the OP/IOP's that are being discussed in the article, turn out to be one I have used in the past, or if I have ever seen it mentioned on DB, then I will absolutely post it for everyone to see.
This time is a bit different. Not only did I not recognize any of the names of the accuser(s), I also have not ever seen any of the people or names of businesses listed anywhere on DB, but there is a chance that I missed them.
So the only reason I think that many of you will find this info important and or relevant to your particular situation is that the meds they are listing here are for medications that they claim are "illegal" to sell over the internet, (I do noy remember the exact details but they mentioned schedule drugs somewhere in the article)
This freaked me out a bit because I am using Phentermine and I get that Phentermine primarily through the Internet. Does anyone know what exactly is illegal about purchasing Phentermine or the other meds listed in this article, omline???
Thanks in advance for any input you can share with me.
-----------------ARTICLE BELOW-----------------------------
Drug trafficking in cyberspace is just as harmful to public safety as drug trafficking on street corners.
PAUL MCNULTY
U.S. Attorney
THE INDICTMENT, returned by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., charges that customers were able to purchase the drugs with inadequate or no medical supervision, little diagnostic testing and scant monitoring of the persons response to the drugs as required by law.
The Internet sites used mass e-mail and advertising to sell drugs, giving discounts to customers who bought large quantities.
Drug trafficking in cyberspace is just as harmful to public safety as drug trafficking on street corners, said U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty. The advent of the Internet does not mean doctors and pharmacists can bypass rules concerning the dispensing of prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances.
Charges include illegal distribution of controlled substances such as the diet drugs Bontril, Ionamin, Phentermine and Adipex and illegal use of a communications facility to perform the distribution.
Among those charged was Vineet K. Chhabra, also known as Vincent K. Chhabra, a 32-year-old Golden Beach, Fla. resident described by prosecutors as the main organizer of the scheme. He faces a 20-year sentence if convicted of operating a continuing criminal enterprise and additional prison time if convicted on money laundering, controlled substance violations and other charges.
Also facing multiple counts and more than 20 years in prison are Chhabras sister, Sabina S. Faruqui, of Weston, Fla., and their uncle, Sunil K. Sethi. of Midlothian, Va. The CChabra Group LLC and USA Prescription Inc. also were charged as businesses with conspiracy.
Four physicians also were charged in the indictment with illegally allowing their names to appear on vials of drugs dispensed over the Internet.
Besides prison time, the defendants could be forced to forfeit more than $125 million in proceeds from the illegal sales, prosecutors said.
The Justice Department, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Food and Drug Administration are involved in the investigation.
© 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
--------------------
Flea
|
lttlbit
Member
Reged: 11/12/03
Posts: 194
|
|
wow thats scary, alexandria va is like 45min from my house.
But I think more and more of this will come in the future.
thanks for postin 
|
yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
|
|
USA Prescription ( http://www.usaprescription.com ) was involved when Lifeline got busted a few months ago. It was their doctors calling into Lifeline, allegedly. I believe this was the pharmacy who gave phentermine to a minor and had pre-filled bottles of their controlled substances ready to ship.
-yawkaw
|
booker
Board Addict
Reged: 08/15/03
Posts: 348
Loc: The Moon
|
|
I saw a segment on MSNBC this evening about that bust. He was selling weight loss meds and they were showing web sites and I've never seen any that they were showing. They discussed the types of meds you could get and if it was "legal" to do it over the internet even having a consult with an OP and filling out the form online. They said 29 states have a law that it is illegal to get a prescription without seeing a doctor in person. They also said that they are going after the doctors and sellers and not the buyers.
--------------------
"would you like to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar, and be better off than you are, or would you rather be a ....."
|
potatoboy99
Permanent Fixture
Reged: 02/04/03
Posts: 1198
Loc: Deep North (East)
|
|
Quote:
they are going after the doctors and sellers and not the buyers.
Hope that's true, the part about NOT going after the buyers.
I have many times wondered what happens if, lets say, one of these places we all use is suddenly declared to be a Criminal Enterprise, and thousands of us are in the client database. What sort of scrutiny could we expect individually? For having patronized an illegal pharmacy operation? This is just a hypothetical question!
|
Trampy
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/02/02
Posts: 1221
Loc: Southwest U.S.
|
|
"the defendants could be forced to forfeit more than $125 million in proceeds from the illegal sales"
I can't believe that ANYONE could gross $125 million without their sites being mentioned here. Maybe they were doing wholesale diversion. I doubt that even the latest round of nuisance spammers using forged headers and remailers (but nonetheless giving their toll-free numbers on their sites ...) who are selling diet pills and Ambien/Sonata could sell anywhere near that much stuff. That "$125 million" figure can't be right.
Trampy
--------------------
Your mileage may vary ...
|
CyberDan3
Stranger
Reged: 11/06/03
Posts: 2
|
|
This doesn't sound good at all... I have used the usaprescriptions web site that is linked here to get phentermine in the past. Let's hope they don't go after the buyers!
|
2muchpain
Enthusiast
Reged: 10/07/03
Posts: 274
Loc: USA
|
|
The government could subpeona each buyer to testify that he/she had indeed purchased meds from the defendant. Truly scary stuff! I can see it now - "We'll make a deal with you. We won't prosecute you if you will testify against the defendant". Or even NO deal. After all, a subpeona is a subpeona.
|
lemongrass
Board Addict
Reged: 09/23/03
Posts: 361
Loc: IL
|
|
That's a scare tactic, when they say that you won't be charged if you testify. Remember, we can use the 5th ammendment so not to self-incriminate. Also, why do they need to have you testify when they have all of your information from the database anyway???
lemongrass
--------------------
|
lemongrass
Board Addict
Reged: 09/23/03
Posts: 361
Loc: IL
|
|
Wait, wait, wait! There's something fishy here. The media is coming right out and saying that the dealers will be punished, not the purchasers. Hmm, that makes me leery. I mean, why would they publically announce something like that? That seems to encourage the buyers to continue purchasing without incident. Sounds like entrapment to me! Build cases agains people and then what....???
lemongrass
--------------------
|
2muchpain
Enthusiast
Reged: 10/07/03
Posts: 274
Loc: USA
|
|
Yes, it is a scare tactic. A real live witness carries more impact than a name on a list.
Also, I am not talking about self-incrimination. I am talking about being used as a government witness. IMHO, pleading the Fifth would be the same as admitting you were a customer. Otherwise, you would just say you had never done business with these folks.
I didn't mean to stir up the pot. But, honestly, if they subpeonaed me, I think I'd have a stroke.
Edited by 2muchpain (12/04/03 08:46 AM)
|
booker
Board Addict
Reged: 08/15/03
Posts: 348
Loc: The Moon
|
|
When the news people made the comment about "going after the source and not the buyers" I think that is what the government would like to do, shut them down. Can you imagine all the online companies and pharmacies that have millions of patients??? I think that coming after buyers is about 99% not going to happen. How about with Tropical? It and sister sites went away and nothing on the board about any buyers being contacted. Am I sounding too optimistic?
--------------------
"would you like to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar, and be better off than you are, or would you rather be a ....."
|
Tred
Enthusiast
Reged: 10/18/03
Posts: 260
Loc: USA
|
|
It does take a while for someone to get a complete case together againsts someone, so you may still hear of someone down the line, getting contacted by some official. It's very unlikely, but possible. Who knows...
--------------------
Entertainment Specialist!
|
flea
Enthusiast
Reged: 05/17/02
Posts: 276
Loc: Recently moved to Mid-West, bu...
|
|
This is in response to the statement Trampy made regarding the $125 Million dollars in sales that this article suggests has been made through the selling of some of these meds.
I too find it difficult to believe that they are claiming that the dollar amnount being questioned in connection with these sales has hit the $125 million dollar mark. How could that be????? I mean we are just talking about Diet pills, Viagra, and sleeping pills, and maybe a few others. Pain meds and or anxiety meds were not even mentioned here.
I don't know, but that really seems hard to believe. If sales in the diet pill industry have reached such astronomical proportions then I can only imagine the kind of money being made in the pain medication industry!! All of the poor chronic pain patients that tend to find
themselves in desperate situations. So many of us (including myself at one time or another) have at one time or another, ended up paying 3-7 times more for a prescription through one of these OP's, than it would have cost had they gotten it at the local Walmart.
Sad, but true. If this article is correct with the $125 million dollar estimate for this website, then I will be blown away. That is CRAZY!!!!!!
--------------------
Flea
|
DrugBuyers
Administrator
Reged: 11/18/01
Posts: 1226
Loc: DrugBuyers.Com
|
|
Here you can find a message from Mr. Vincent Chhabra
http://www.eprescribe.org/ceo.htm
This is a little sample
Quote:
...The federal government is attempting to use litigation to regulate the Internet-based healthcare industry, threatening to bring charges against me personally and our company. Appointed public servants are circumventing the elected representatives' authorized law-making process, and thereby pitting the massive resources of the federal government against private citizens engaged in lawful commerce. While we have fought to defend ourselves in court, and have prevailed, we recognize the limits of our resources and the great personal risks we face, fighting an uphill battle against an adversary with unlimited resources at their disposal...
--------------------
"Whosoever is spared personal pain must feel himself called to help in diminishing the pain of others." Dr Albert Schweitzer
|
ItsOnlyMe
Newbie
Reged: 04/26/03
Posts: 26
Loc: Oklahoma
|
|
Hey, you know what though? If they subpoena someone for ordering and taking a diet pill, and that person comes under the catagory of:
Main Entry: obe·si·ty
Pronunciation: O-'bE-s&-tE
Function: noun
Date: 1611
: a condition characterized by excessive bodily fat... I don't know why the person subpoenaed (sp?) would be worried. If they were subpoenaed for ordering a pain med., and had a history of intractable pain...I'm saying, if I KNEW that the meds I have ordered in the past WERE being ordered and prescribed illegally, and were being used "recreationaly", I'd be concerned. IF however, I had a real need for them, and knew it in my heart....and they were available from a doctor/pharmacist/online consult group, and my Primary Care Physician wouldn't: A) prescribe what I need; B) prescribe what I need, or C) PRESCRIBE WHAT I NEED, then I'm sure my conscience wouldn't be too dented.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit 
Reply 
Quote 
