JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At least nine local law enforcement agencies were among 15 to benefit from a drug kingpin's profits, which were distributed Wednesday to help fight crime.
The U.S. Attorney's Office divided up more than $2.4 million into 15 checks, including one to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for more than $600,000.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents said they stripped 27-year-old Zachary Rose of all the money he made while running three pill mill operations in the Jacksonville area. Now that money is going to be used to purchase police technology and equipment that will help put more criminals behind bars.
Rose was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone and alprazolam, also called Xanax, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Rose (pictured) operated three local pill mills -- 1st Coast Pain and Urgent Care, Duval Wellness, and Jacksonville Pain and Urgent Care -- that were shut down in 2012.
As part of Rose's sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of $2,461,801, which was deemed the proceeds of the offenses. Under federal forfeiture laws, criminals can be stripped of assets that were used illegally or purchased with proceeds of illegal activity.
That money is then distributed by the U.S. Attorney's Office as part of the Equitable Sharing Program, which provides crime-fighting resources to state and local law enforcement. Officials said the forfeited funds can't be used to balance local police agencies' budgets, but they can be used to offset other financial obligations.
JSO Director Tom Hackney said his agency will put the money to good use for technology, training and equipment used to fight crime.
"These are increasing complex investigations that take a lot of time," Hackney said. "We can offset what we have to spend on some of these investigations and spend this money on that and use that other money toward the manpower allocations."
According to court documents, Rose opened and operated illegitimate pain clinics in Jacksonville and elsewhere. At these clinics, purported patients were prescribed high dosages of pain medications without appropriate medical examinations and assessments. The clinics often saw in excess of 100 patients per day, and many of the individuals were traveling from Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee to obtain pain pills.
"There's never a better day to take the money from the proceeds of bad and give it to good," said Toni Chrabot, of the FBI.
As part of the Equitable Sharing Program, the forfeited funds have been distributed to agencies that helped contribute to Rose's successful prosecution. Those agencies provided critical assistance during the investigation, including identifying, locating, and interviewing witnesses, executing federal search warrants, and processing evidence.
The agencies include and received (approximately):
- Jacksonville Sheriff's Office: $606,000
- Florida Department of Financial Services -- Division of Insurance Fraud: $202,000
- Dooly County Sheriff's Office, Georgia: $80,000
- Fernandina Beach Police Department: $80,000
- Flagler County Sheriff's Office: $80,000
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation: $80,000
- Jacksonville Beach Police Department: $180,000
- Putnam County Sheriff's Office: $80,000
- St. Johns County Sheriff's Office: $80,000
- Baker County Sheriff's Office: $60,000
- Columbia County Sheriff's Office: $60,000
- Green Cove Springs Police Department: $60,000
- Florida National Guard Counterdrug Program: $40,000
- Sunrise Police Department: $120,000
- Indian River County Sheriff's Office: $23,000
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation of the case along with the state and local law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Marshals Service was responsible for depositing and distributing the forfeited funds.