3 Long Islanders Charged For Role In Distributing Opioids: Feds

BROOKLYN, NY - Three Long Islanders are among eight people charged in connection to a drug ring that involved distributing opioid pills imported from India, the Richard P. Donoghue, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of NY announced on Thursday.

According to the complaint unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn, the following people were arrested in and appeared this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom:

• Ezhil Sezhian Kamaldoss, 46, of Richmond Hill
• Harpreet Singh, 28, of Plainview
• Parthiban Narayanasamy, 58, of Jamaica
• Baljeet Singh, 29, of Richmond Hill
• Deepak Manchanda, 43, of Deer Park
• Gulab Gulab, 45, of Richmond Hill
• Mukul Chugh, 24, of Long Island City
• Vikas M. Verma, 45, Dix Hills

All eight were arrested for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance containing Tramadol, a synthetic opioid, the U.S. attorney said.

Since January 2018, law enforcement agents have been investigating the large-scale importation of misbranded controlled substances, including Tramadol, into the United States from India, the U.S. attorney said.

As part of the scheme, distributors in India shipped misbranded Tramadol and other drugs to individuals and entities in the United States through the U.S. mail and other commercial couriers, the U.S. attorney said.

"The importation of mislabeled drugs is both dangerous and illegal," FBI Special Agent-in-charge Todd Wickerham. “It contributes to the ongoing opioid crisis in our nationand causes harm to our communities.”

The group primarily operated out of a warehouse in Queens where they repackaged the pills and mailed them to customers across the country, the U.S. attorney said.

The eight allegedly maintained daily ledgers detailing the names, addresses, pill size and pill amounts ordered by customers and during the course of the investigation, distributed millions of Tramadol pills, according to the U.S. attorney.

In addition, Kamaldoss was also charged with money laundering, the U.S. attorney said.

"The illegal manufacture and distribution of opioids can result in overdoses and deaths, further fueling the national crisis," FDA Special Agent-in-charge Mark McCormack. "The FDA is committed to disrupting and dismantling illegal prescription drug distribution networks, including those that import unapproved drugs from overseas, and distribute those drugs with reckless disregard of the risk to public health."

If convicted, Kamaldoss faces up to 25 years’ in prison while the other seven each face up to five years’ imprisonment.

"American communities continue to be plagued by synthetic opioids, often at the hands of dealers like those accused in this investigation," Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent-in-charge Peter Fitzhugh. "HSI is committed to aggressively targeting every level of the opioid supply chain, from the overseas vendors to the street-level dealers, in an effort to end this crisis."