Pubdate: Mon, 08 Jul 2002 Source: Charlotte Observer (NC) Copyright: 2002 The Charlotte Observer Contact: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/78 Author: Debbie Cenziper RING HAD ITS CENTER IN IREDELL STATESVILLE - The tip that helped police crack the biggest OxyContin ring in the Charlotte region came from an addict in Greensboro. Caught trying to pass a forged OxyContin prescription, the addict told police about a group of people in Statesville selling hundreds of pills. They would drive to an office supply store and copy legitimate OxyContin prescriptions. Then, they'd drive from pharmacy to pharmacy along I-40 and I-77, passing forged prescriptions. At least three were from West Virginia, a state hit hard by OxyContin abuse. When pharmacies there started questioning OxyContin prescriptions, the men moved near friends in Iredell County. They passed pills around at parties, introducing the painkiller to people who had not had a serious drug abuse problem. In early 2000, Sgt. Chris Shuskey, with the Iredell County Sheriff's Office, knew OxyContin abuse was overwhelming parts of his community. Crack dealers were selling OxyContin. Addicts were bouncing checks and stealing to support their habits. Shuskey met one addict spending $1,200 a day on OxyContin. Another, desperate, traded a new pickup truck for five pills. Shuskey started investigating the tip from Greensboro with help from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Narcotics officers drove highways, from Statesville to Salisbury to Winston-Salem to Greensboro and beyond. At every exit, they visited pharmacies. At almost every pharmacy, they found forged prescriptions. Law enforcement gathered a list of 50 people involved in the ring. In 2001, police arrested 10, the major dealers. Nine have pleaded guilty, and one is awaiting trial. None has been sentenced yet. Overall, the group illegally obtained 50,000 OxyContin pills worth an estimated $2 million, passing forged prescriptions and selling OxyContin in the Carolinas and other states. It was, officials believe, the region's largest OxyContin bust. "I hate to see this kind of pain management tool disappear but the abuse factor is unbelievable," Shuskey says. "We've run into people who have lost everything because of addiction to this drug." Ring had its center in Iredell DEBBIE CENZIPER Staff Writer STATESVILLE - The tip that helped police crack the biggest OxyContin ring in the Charlotte region came from an addict in Greensboro. Caught trying to pass a forged OxyContin prescription, the addict told police about a group of people in Statesville selling hundreds of pills. They would drive to an office supply store and copy legitimate OxyContin prescriptions. Then, they'd drive from pharmacy to pharmacy along I-40 and I-77, passing forged prescriptions. At least three were from West Virginia, a state hit hard by OxyContin abuse. When pharmacies there started questioning OxyContin prescriptions, the men moved near friends in Iredell County. They passed pills around at parties, introducing the painkiller to people who had not had a serious drug abuse problem. In early 2000, Sgt. Chris Shuskey, with the Iredell County Sheriff's Office, knew OxyContin abuse was overwhelming parts of his community. Crack dealers were selling OxyContin. Addicts were bouncing checks and stealing to support their habits. Shuskey met one addict spending $1,200 a day on OxyContin. Another, desperate, traded a new pickup truck for five pills. Shuskey started investigating the tip from Greensboro with help from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Narcotics officers drove highways, from Statesville to Salisbury to Winston-Salem to Greensboro and beyond. At every exit, they visited pharmacies. At almost every pharmacy, they found forged prescriptions. Law enforcement gathered a list of 50 people involved in the ring. In 2001, police arrested 10, the major dealers. Nine have pleaded guilty, and one is awaiting trial. None has been sentenced yet. Overall, the group illegally obtained 50,000 OxyContin pills worth an estimated $2 million, passing forged prescriptions and selling OxyContin in the Carolinas and other states. It was, officials believe, the region's largest OxyContin bust. "I hate to see this kind of pain management tool disappear but the abuse factor is unbelievable," Shuskey says. "We've run into people who have lost everything because of addiction to this drug." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth