Drug Sweep Uncovers $625K Orange County Oxy Prescription Scheme

GOSHEN, NY — A drug sweep in Orange County uncovered a scheme from inside a medical office that trafficked 51,375 oxycodone pills with a street value of over $625,852. It resulted in charges for 18 people accused of trafficking heroin, cocaine and prescription medications, mostly in Goshen and Newburgh, said Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler.

Hoovler and Orange County Sheriff Carl DuBois announced the enforcement action Wednesday by the Orange County Drug Task Force and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

“The large number of pills illegally dispensed from a medical practice in the Village of Goshen demonstrates how the opioid epidemic effects every community in the state without regard to socio-economic status,” said Hoovler. “There are few residents who do not know someone whose life has been devastated by narcotics."

In addition to undercover narcotics purchases, the DA's Office investigateda group of people involved in a conspiracy to illegally obtain oxycodone by electronically issuing false prescriptions for the highly addictive narcotic drug.

As a result of the investigation, six people were charged with felony conspiracy charges. Two were also charged with Operating as a Major Trafficker.

Jodee O’Dell, 38, of Goshen, and Vanessa Hinkley, 40, of Pine Bush were each charged with
Operating as a Major Trafficker and Conspiracy in the Second Degree. Both O’Dell and Hinkley
had been employees of BAJA Medical Offices, PLLC, in the Village of Goshen, and are alleged
to have caused electronic prescriptions for oxycodone to be issued in the names of persons who
were never patients of that medical office.

It is alleged that they did this by using electronic devices within the office to generate the prescriptions without the medical staff, including the doctors, being aware of the prescriptions being issued.

It is alleged that between Jan. 6, 2015 and Aug. 27, 2018, O’Dell and Hinckley caused 51,375 oxycodone pills to be dispensed to individuals, using the fraudulent electronic prescriptions. The case was brought to the attention of the District Attorney’s Office by the medical office once other staffers became aware of the diverted narcotics.

Four others were charged with Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree for filling the fraudulent prescriptions. It is alleged that after they filled the fraudulent prescriptions, they
kept some of the pills, but gave the majority of the pills to other co-conspirators. The total street
value of the pills which were illegally dispensed was in excess of $625,852.

Nine people are charged with the Class B felonies, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree:

“The current epidemic of overdose deaths related to opioid use cries out for operations such as this and collaborative efforts between law enforcement," DuBois stated. "I thank all our law enforcement partners, and especially those police chiefs and municipalities whose police departments work collaboratively with, and dedicate personnel to, the Orange County Drug Task Force. Without their efforts there would no doubt be an even larger number of overdoses.”