(DAYTON, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Carter Stewart announced today the arrests of two Dayton area residents suspected of creating and selling dozens of forged painkiller prescriptions for drugs such as Oxycodone, Percocet, and Vicodin.
Investigators working as part of an Ohio Attorney General's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force arrested Kettering residents Christian Fannon, 34, and Amanda Pappert, 30, this morning as part of "Operation Safety Net."
The couple was arrested on federal charges including Conspiracy to Traffic in Drugs, Knowingly or Intentionally Manufacture, Distribute, or Dispense, or Possess with Intent to Manufacture Distribute, or Dispense, Schedule II and Schedule IV Controlled Substances, Use of a Communication Device in Furtherance of a Drug Conspiracy, and Conspiracy to Commit an Offense.
Authorities also served a federal search warrant on a Kettering home as part of the ongoing investigation, which began when authorities with the Dayton Police Department began investigating a number of forged prescriptions showing up at Dayton pharmacies.
"This task force got involved when it became clear that these forged prescriptions were being passed off, not only in Dayton, but throughout the Miami Valley," said Attorney General DeWine. "While we believe that we arrested the two main players in this operation today, it is very likely that additional co-conspirators will be taken into custody in the future."
“Pharmaceutical drugs, particularly controlled substances, taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision can be just as dangerous as taking illicit drugs,” Stewart said. “The Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force is instrumental in reducing prescription drug abuse and illegitimate prescriptions. The fraudulent abuse of Food Stamp benefits to further these drug crimes is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
In addition to the charges listed above, Fannon and Pappert were also arrested on federal charges of Illegal Acquisition or Use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits, Wire Fraud, and Health Care Fraud for their alleged misuse of Ohio Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and their alleged misuse of Medicaid benefits.
The Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force responsible for investigating this case is made up of law enforcement officers from the Tactical Crime Suppression Unit (TCSU), Centerville Police Department, Kettering Police Department, Germantown Police Department, Ohio Department of Public Safety, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General. Authorities with the Dayton Police Department assisted in the investigation.
Established in 1986, the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) assists local law enforcement agencies in combating organized crime and corrupt activities. The Commission is composed of members of the law enforcement community and is chaired by the Ohio Attorney General. In 2013, authorities working in OOCIC task forces across the state seized more than $14 million worth of drugs and more than $5 million in U.S. currency.
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Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840