Thirteen Defendants Charged with Conspiring to Distribute Oxycodone, Some Through an Interstate Drug Trafficking Operation

Press Release

Indicted individuals include a physician from the state of Indiana

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Twelve western Pennsylvania residents and one Indiana resident have been charged by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone in two separate but related Indictments-charging one count and 22 counts, respectively-announced today by United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan. Each of the Indictments names six western Pennsylvania residents as defendants, with the 22-count Indictment also charging Dr. Martin J. Maassen, a resident of Lafayette, Indiana, with distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance. A complete list of the defendants is included at the bottom of this release.

The charged drug conspiracies allege conduct spanning several years-from January 2019 to July 2024 (as to the 22-count Indictment) and from December 2019 to July 2024 (as to the one-count Indictment). The conspiracy charges in each Indictment allege that the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Further, as to Maassen, the 22-count Indictment also charges the physician with 21 additional counts of unlawful distribution of an amphetamine commonly known as Adderall.

For the conspiracy charge, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Maassen faces an additional penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment on each of the controlled substance distribution charges. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

"The illegal distribution of addictive and deadly drugs continues to tear apart communities throughout western Pennsylvania and the rest of the country," said U.S. Attorney Olshan. "What makes the conduct alleged here even more troubling is the involvement of a physician-a resident of another state, no less. Dismantling drug trafficking organizations is at the center of what our office does, and these charges should send a clear and loud message: whether you sell drugs out on the street or while wearing a white coat in a doctor's office, law enforcement at all levels of government will work as long and as hard as it takes to hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

"The allegations in these indictments are serious and deeply concerning," said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. "Dr. Maassen stands accused of unlawfully distributing powerful painkillers such as oxycodone and amphetamines such as Adderall. Doctors such as Maassen have a legal and moral obligation to prescribe these drugs for legitimate medical purposes and within the usual course of professional practice; Maassen allegedly did neither. The unlawful distribution of oxycodone has contributed to the opioid crisis that has so adversely affected our communities."

Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted by the Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Monroeville Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, Canonsburg Police Department, Clairton Police Department, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, and Munhall Police Department, conducted the investigations leading to the Indictments.

These prosecutions are part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Indictment 1

Indictment 2

Updated November 5, 2024