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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
February 13, 2023
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov
*PRESS OFFICE: (512) 463-2050*
[email protected]
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*Investigation by Paxton?s Medicaid Fraud Unit Helps Lead to Arrest of*
*Nine Individuals Accused of Distributing 1.5 Million Opioid Pills*
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AUSTIN ??As a result of a joint investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton?s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the DEA, FBI, the US Postal Service-Office of Inspector General, and the US Postal Inspection Service, nine individuals have been arrested in Houston for the unlawful distribution of 1.5 million opioid pills and other controlled substances.?
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The nine individuals arrested were Kent Lyons, 52; Roquel Turner, 47; Traunce Alfred, 43; Dwain Ross, 52; Delores Mackey-Ross, 43; Ann Nguyen, 30; David Ross, 53; Kevin Peterson, 56; and Eleanor Marsh, 56.??
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Lyons, Turner, and Alfred are being charged with illegally distributing controlled substances, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, after Lyons and Turner allegedly obtained incredibly strong drugs in their immediate-release pill form and sold the drugs on the black market to drug traffickers like Alfred.??
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Dwain Ross, Mackey-Ross, and Nguyen were arrested for allegedly using pharmacies to illegally distribute and dispense nearly half a million pills of oxycodone and hydrocodone. Dwain Ross and Mackey-Ross, along with David Ross, Kevin Peterson, and Eleanor Marsh, were also arrested for allegedly illegally ordering opioid potentiators and then unlawfully distributing them in bulk.??
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?These arrests demonstrate the enormity of the opioid crisis our country finds itself in,? said Attorney General Paxton. ?My office?s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will continue to work tirelessly to bring rogue healthcare providers to justice, protect Texas taxpayers, and safeguard all Texans against the scourge of illegal opioid distribution.???
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Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the DOJ?s Criminal Division?s Fraud Section is prosecuting the cases.?
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