Prescription Pill Trafficking Ring Brought Down by Law Enforcement

A pair of twin brothers, Jeff and Christopher George, have been accused by authorities of running a massive prescription pill trafficking operation in Palm Beach and Broward counties, involving 30 co-conspirators, including 14 doctors. According to U.S. Attorney Wilfredo Ferrer, the enterprise made millions by selling powerful prescription drugs to addicts and dealers through pain clinics, resulting in numerous fatal overdoses. The brothers, along with their co-conspirators, face federal racketeering charges, with the clinics allegedly doling out 20 million oxycodone pills over two years, netting over $40 million.

Key Takeaways:

• The George brothers' operation was the largest prescription-drug trafficking organization in the country, with 30 co-conspirators, including 14 doctors, involved in the scheme.
• The clinics allegedly dispensed 20 million oxycodone pills over a two-year period, generating over $40 million in revenue.
• The operation led to numerous fatal overdoses, with one patient, Joey Bartolucci, dying from an overdose shortly after visiting one of the clinics.
• The George brothers were charged with federal racketeering charges, with their clinics operating as a violence-ridden business, involving kidnapping, extortion, and assault against competitors and people suspected of stealing or cooperating with police.
• The operation also involved the use of a 24-hour MRI van parked outside a strip club to generate false medical reports to support the need for pain pills.
• The George brothers' mother, Denice Haggerty, was charged and found to have $4.7 million in cash in her attic.
• Palm Beach County State Attorney Michael McAuliffe charged Jeff George with second-degree murder in one of the overdose deaths, with Dr. Gerald Joseph Klein facing a first-degree murder charge for prescribing excessive amounts of narcotics to the patient.
• The operation highlights the challenges of proving that a doctor operated outside the medical norm, with a previous case in 2001 illustrating the difficulty of prosecution.

Statistics:

• 20 million oxycodone pills dispensed over two years by the George brothers' clinics
• Over $40 million in revenue generated by the operation
• 30 co-conspirators involved in the scheme, including 14 doctors
• 14 clinics operated by the George brothers' organization
• $4.7 million found in Denice Haggerty's attic

Sources:

• "Federal probe nabs twin brothers in pill-trafficking operation" by Rhonda Swan for The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board
• U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida press release (date not provided)
• Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office press release (date not provided)
• "Doctor accused of prescribing massive amounts of painkillers in death of patient" by Rhonda Swan for The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board
• "Pill mills thrive in Palm Beach County" by Rhonda Swan for The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board