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OxyContin bust may be largest ever
Thursday, May 22, 2008
FAIRFIELD — A sting by the Southwest Ohio Regional Drug Task Force resulted in the largest undercover purchase of OxyContin in the United States and the arrest of three, including a Fairfield man.
The task force, in conjunction with the Warren County Drug Task Force, the Cincinnati Office of the FBI, and the Dayton office of the DEA, conducted a 3-month investigation into the distribution of OxyContin into southwest Ohio. It culminated May 6 in Dearborn, Mich., when a purchase of 3,000 80mg tablets of OxyContin was made, along with the arrests of Omar Little, 37, and Troy Daniels, 40, both of Detroit.
Extras
The pills were purchased for $105,000, and have an ultimate street value of $240,000.
Commander John Burke of the Warren County Drug Task Force said a previous purchase of 600 OxyContin tablets in Warren County led the investigation to the Michigan men.
On Tuesday, May 20, 23-year-old Zaid Nasser, with addresses on Timber Hollow Drive in Fairfield and in Batavia, was arrested after search warrants were executed at both residences; cash and a firearm were seized.
Nasser, Little and Daniels are all charged federally with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Nasser is believed to be an illegal alien from Jordan, according to Burke.
"The investigation is continuing," Burke said, adding that one focus is where the trio got the large quantity of the prescription painkiller.
Court records indicate officers began talking with Little on April 15 by cell phone about a potential purchase of 1,000 tablets of 80 mg OxyContin. Over the next two weeks, Little talked with the undercover agent trying to close a deal, police said, and the price quoted for 3,000 doses was $40 a tablet. According to the complaint, Little eventually offered a discount of $5 per dose if the undercover agent drove to Michigan to conduct the transaction. That transaction was completed on May 6, according to the complaint.
OxyContin manufacturer, Purdue Pharma, helped fund the investigation, officials said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.
