11 Defendants Indicted for $1.2 Million Oxycodone Conspiracy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that 11 defendants have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a $1.2 million conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone that they obtained by using forged and fraudulent prescriptions.

Robert G. Joy, also known as “Bear,” 33, Gary D. Dickinson, also known as “James DeJong,” 49, Nicholas Destefano, 37, Katherine E. Beaven, 22, Douglas R. Parker, 56, Michelle C. Newton, 45, Felicita A. San Miguel, also known as “Cassandra Jasso,” “Susan Hernandez,” and “Sarah Buckner,” 37, Jermaine C. Brooks, 28, and Timothy D. Kroenke, 26, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Christopher J. Neale, 25, of Harrisonville, Mo.; and Thomas Poindexter, 41, of Olathe, Kan., were charged in a 27-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of Joy, Destefano, Beaven, Parker, Neale and Kroenke.

The federal indictment alleges that all 11 co-defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone that began on June 22, 2013.

All of the co-defendants are also charged with participating in a conspiracy to unlawfully use another person’s identification to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime. According to the indictment, conspirators obtained the means of identification of health care providers (including their names and DEA registration numbers, which are assigned by the DEA to allow them to write prescriptions for controlled substances). Conspirators allegedly used that identification and the prescription paper to prepare false prescriptions for controlled substances, including Oxycodone. They took the false prescriptions to pharmacies in Kansas City, Drexel, Riverside, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs, Kearney, Butler, Odessa, Higginsville and Nevada, Mo. After they obtained the Oxycodone or other controlled substances, the indictment says, they distributed them to others.

In addition to the two conspiracies, Dickinson is charged with five counts of obtaining Oxycodone by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing cocaine, oxycodone and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Dickinson and San Miguel are charged together in two counts of obtaining Oxycodone by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge. Dickinson, Beaven and San Miguel are charged together in one count of obtaining Oxycodone by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge. Brooks and San Miguel are charged together in one count of obtaining Oxycodone by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge. San Miguel is also charged in a fifth count of obtaining Oxycodone by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge.

Kroenke is also charged with five counts of obtaining Oxycodone by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge.

Neale is also charged with two counts of obtaining Oxycodone by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge.

Destefano is also charged with one count of possessing a firearm (a Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol) while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance and one count of possessing Oxycodone and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Poindexter is also charged with one count of possessing Oxycodone, cocaine and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

The federal indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property obtained from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including a money judgment of $1.2 million.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess E. Michaelson. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the police departments of Riverside, Blue Springs, Independence, Kearney, Odessa, Nevada, Higginsville, Drexel Lee’s Summit and Butler.