Assistant Attorney General Of The United States Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today revealed the development of the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force, a joint police effort that combines the resources and know-how of the Health Care Scams System in the Criminal Division’s Scams Area, the U.S. Lawyers’ Workplaces for 3 federal districts, in addition to police partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Solutions Workplace of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The objective of the NEPO Strike Force is to recognize and examine health care scams plans in the New England area, and to successfully and effectively prosecute people included in the illegal circulation of prescription opioids and other recommended controlled compounds. The NEPO Strike Force will mostly target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care scams and drug diversion offenses, as pertinent based upon the truths of the specific case.
” This NEPO Strike Force broadens and hones the Justice Department’s action to the country’s opioid epidemic,” stated Assistant Chief law officer Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of theJustice Department’s Criminal Division “In the in 2015, more than 75,000 people in the United States lost their lives due to overdose. Because 2018, some of the best spikes in the drug overdose death rate have actually happenedin New England The NEPO Strike Force will help to address one of the origin of the epidemic: illegal prescription and diversionof opioids Together with our partners, we will meet the department’s solemn guarantee to release vital resources to resolve the opioid crisis.”
Assistant Attorney General Of The United States Polite was signed up with in the statement in Concord, New Hampshire, by U.S. Lawyer Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Lawyer Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Lawyer Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont; Deputy Inspector General for Examinations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG; Assistant Administrator Kristi N. O’Malley of the DEA Diversion Control Division; and Performing Deputy Assistant Director Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
” The development of NEPO provides a significant chance for our 3 Northern New England states to interrupt the illegal prescription and circulation of opioid,” stated U.S. Lawyer Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire. “As a state, we are grateful to the Department of Justice to be part of this effort and delighted that it will be based here in New Hampshire.”
” Maine’s opioid overdose death rate has actually escalated, and police has actually recognized the opioid epidemic as the primary problem officers deal with,” stated U.S. Lawyer Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “While the trafficking of illegal drugs, in specific fentanyl, is well advertised, 23% of overdose deaths in Maine are the outcome of pharmaceutical opioids, and lots of of those who passed away from illegal compounds most likely very first attempted pharmaceuticals, either their own or those of a buddy or family member. This Strike Force will provide crucial resources to help battle a growing epidemic, and along with our partners, we will pursue any medical workers who misuse their position to threaten lives through the overprescribing of opioids for their own financial gain.”
” The statement of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force shows the Department of Justice’s dedication to working with our police partners in Vermont and somewhere else to hold responsible health care providers who make use of the opioid epidemic for individual gain,” stated U.S. Lawyer Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Health care providers who release illegal opioid prescriptions weaken essential efforts to resolve the epidemic while putting patients at threat of overdose and physical damage.”
” HHS-OIG is steadfast in our dedication to hold responsible providers who unlawfully recommend opioids for individual revenue while disregarding the security and wellness of their patients,” stated Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Solutions. “Along with our police partners, HHS-OIG is happy to support the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force in a collective effort to help communities pestered by the opioid epidemic.”
” At a time when the United States is losing 10s of thousands of Americans to opioid overdoses every year, it has actually never ever been more vital to make sure physicians and health care specialists are focusing on the security and health of their patients,” stated DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The development of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force even more reinforces our essential cooperation with partners in the area to hold responsible any professional who recklessly disperses opioid medications.”
” The development of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force provides the FBI and our police partners with essential cumulative resources to fight health care scams and drug diversion plans within the area,” stated Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal InvestigativeDivision “The FBI will not endure those medical professionals ready to sacrifice patients’ health for their individual revenue and will work relentlessly to root out and bring to justice those people who unlawfully disperse prescription opioids and other controlled compounds.”
The NEPO Strike Force will run as a collaboration in between district attorneys and information experts with the Scams Area’s Health Care Scams System, district attorneys with the U.S. Lawyers’ Workplaces in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and unique representatives with HHS-OIG, DEA, and the FBI. It will run out of the Concord, New Hampshire, location, supporting the 3 districts that comprise the NEPO Strike Force area. In addition, the NEPO Strike Force will work carefully with other federal and state police, consisting of the State Medicaid Scams Control Units.
Today’s NEPO Strike Force statement develops on the shown success of the Health Care Scams System’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO)Strike Force Because its beginning in late 2018, ARPO has actually partnered with federal and state police and U.S. Lawyers’ Workplaces throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others included in the illegal prescription and circulationof opioids Over the previous 3 years, ARPO has actually charged 111 offenders, jointly accountable for providing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance tablets. To date, more than 60 ARPO offenders have actually been founded guilty.
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Information about offered treatment programs is offered as follows:
New Hampshire: For a recommendation to addiction treatment services, please call 211 If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis please call/ text the New Hampshire Rapid Action Gain Access To Point at 1-833-710-6477 New Hampshire citizens can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hr a day, 7 days a week.
Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Security ( OPTIONS) effort is a collaborated effort of the Maine Workplace of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state companies to enhance the health of Mainers utilizing compounds through damage decrease strategies, assisting them on the road to recovery, and significantly decreasing the number of deadly and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me If you or a loved one are having a hard time with opiate addiction, please contact 211 to receive help and discover information about regional treatment programs.
Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resourcesto help Vermont 211 ( https://vermont211.org/) is offered. To speak to somebody about substance use resources consisting of treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK ( toll totally free at 833-565-LINK) or go to online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs (802-651-1550). All information and recommendation services are totally free and personal.
For people looking for help in other states, please call the Drug Abuse and Mental Health Solutions Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP ( 4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 This service provides recommendations to regional treatment centers, support system, and community- based companies.