Vulture
May 20th, 2005, 11:09 AM
just came across this ....
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5414466.html
<h1>
Feds seize assets of Burnsville online pharmacy
</h1>
<div id="attribution">
Warren Wolfe,
</span>
Star Tribune
</span>
<div id="pubdate">
May 21, 2005
XPRESS0521
</span></div>
</div>
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<t><tr><td colspan="2" height="9"></span>
</td></tr></t>
</table>
Federal
authorities have seized more than $4 million in assets from a
Burnsville-based online pharmacy and four people connected with the
company, which allegedly sold up to $18 million worth of pain killers
over the Internet.
A federal judge today was considering a government request for a
preliminary restraining order to dissolve the business, Xpress Pharmacy
Direct, and to stop four defendants from opening new companies. An
order by U.S. district Judge Michael Davis is expected this afternoon.
No one has been charged with a crime, but the firm has been closed
since May 10, when the FBI and other agencies seized computers and
records at the business, which employed 85 people. The company's
website was not operating today.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Brooker said the year-long
investigation found that the business was not licensed to sell drugs
and sold addictive pain killers without prescriptions.
The federal action is part of a broader investigation that includes
businesses in Illinois and North Carolina that allegedly are linked to
Xpress Pharmacy Direct, which solicited sales through the Internet and
a call center in Burnsville, according to court papers.
In court papers, Brooker said the company at times overcharged
clients, supplied fewer pills than ordered, sold drugs returned by
other customers and supplied different drugs than those ordered.
Brooker said the FBI seized a $1.1 million house, $1.8 million in cars and $1.3 million in cash and are seeking other assets.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5414466.html
<h1>
Feds seize assets of Burnsville online pharmacy
</h1>
<div id="attribution">
Warren Wolfe,
</span>
Star Tribune
</span>
<div id="pubdate">
May 21, 2005
XPRESS0521
</span></div>
</div>
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<t><tr><td colspan="2" height="9"></span>
</td></tr></t>
</table>
Federal
authorities have seized more than $4 million in assets from a
Burnsville-based online pharmacy and four people connected with the
company, which allegedly sold up to $18 million worth of pain killers
over the Internet.
A federal judge today was considering a government request for a
preliminary restraining order to dissolve the business, Xpress Pharmacy
Direct, and to stop four defendants from opening new companies. An
order by U.S. district Judge Michael Davis is expected this afternoon.
No one has been charged with a crime, but the firm has been closed
since May 10, when the FBI and other agencies seized computers and
records at the business, which employed 85 people. The company's
website was not operating today.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Brooker said the year-long
investigation found that the business was not licensed to sell drugs
and sold addictive pain killers without prescriptions.
The federal action is part of a broader investigation that includes
businesses in Illinois and North Carolina that allegedly are linked to
Xpress Pharmacy Direct, which solicited sales through the Internet and
a call center in Burnsville, according to court papers.
In court papers, Brooker said the company at times overcharged
clients, supplied fewer pills than ordered, sold drugs returned by
other customers and supplied different drugs than those ordered.
Brooker said the FBI seized a $1.1 million house, $1.8 million in cars and $1.3 million in cash and are seeking other assets.