Troy Man Conspired In $12M Drug Smuggling Scheme: Feds

TROY, MI — Federal officials accused a Troy man of smuggling prescription drugs used to treat the effects of steroids into the country illegally, the Justice Department announced Friday.

Joshua Ford was charged with conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the United States for distribution in the Western District of Michigan and elsewhere, officials said. If convicted of conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the United States, Ford faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Ford was one of five men accused by federal officials of carrying out the drug-smuggling operation. Brendon Gagne of Fountain, Colorado, James Funaro of Atlanta, Jeremy Walenty of Tampa, Florida and Taylor McLaren of Colorado Springs, Colorado were also indicted for the conspiracy charge.

Gagne and Funaro were also charged with money laundering conspiracy, and Funaro was charged alone with a single count of money laundering, federal officials said.

The group will be arraigned in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan before Magistrate Judge Phillip J. Green on March 21.

The group ran two websites, Express PCT and Express Peds, to sell prescription drugs, controlled substances and steroids that were created outside the United States, federal officials said. The websites did not ask customers for prescriptions, even though the drugs they were selling require a doctor's referral, feeder officials said.

The websites accepted Bitcoin, as well as other forms of digital payment through apps, such as Zelle and Cash App, officials said. Overall, federal officials said they traced at least $12 million back to the scheme.