Police arrested 2 Lawrence men last week and charged them with planning to sell fentanyl to soldiers who were seeking help for addiction & substance abuse issues at the Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center, federal investigators said.
Deiby Bladimil Casado Ruiz & Pedro Antonio Sanchez Bernabel are charged with 1 count of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl & 1 count of distribution of fentanyl. Casado Ruiz is also charged with an additional count of distribution of fentanyl.
Investigators said Casado Ruiz and Bernabel conspired to sell more than 40 grams of fentanyl to patients at the Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center who were seeking treatment for addiction disorder.
"What these 2 men are accused of doing is absolutely appalling," Joseph R. Bonavolonta, a special agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said. "We believe they targeted veterans who have valiantly defended our country's freedoms & are now seeking treatment for their substance abuse disorder, and plied them with fentanyl, a deadly narcotic 50-100 times stronger than morphine."
The men face between 5 & 40 years in prison in convicted, the US Attorney's Office said.
Drug addiction among soldiers is a growing problem, according to the VA. About 20 percent of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder also have a substance abuse problem.
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Source: Daily Voice
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