A
Sun Sentinel story reveals that more investigation is needed in the wake of the arrests made at the West Palm Beach Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. Eighteen people are already in custody in connection with trafficking oxycodone at the VA medical center, warrants have been issued for 3 individuals not yet arrested, and all are facing charges varying from selling marijuana near a church to selling and/or trafficking oxycodone. Following the initial arrests,
authorities are now launching a "deeper investigation," which may include examining some veterans disability issues at the hospital.
The focus of this new investigation is uncovering who supplied the VA employees with what is being called "mass amounts of oxycodone," as well we where 6,000 seized oxycodone pills originated. According to authorities, the pills were being sold in "stairwells, parking lots and benches at the hospital."
The 18 arrested include patients, associates, and 6 VA hospital employees. They have all been charged with making "large profits" as a result of continued selling and/or trafficking of both prescription pain killers as well as other drugs both inside the VA medical center and an adjacent shopping center. The 7-month operation was known as
Operation Tango Vax.
The majority of the 6,000 oxycodone pills and the $200,000 cash investigators seized as part of the operation came from one location: Terri Guerra's Jupiter home. Guerra is a pharmaceutical technician at the VA medical center responsible for monitoring the pharmaceutical inventory and whose son was recently arrested and charged with drug trafficking in Pennsylvania.
Inside her home, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents discovered 5,000 oxycodone pills and almost $100,000 in cash. The recovered oxycodone are the same brand ordered for use at the VA medical center.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits
contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.
Category: Veterans' Disability
To reply to this message, enter your reply in the box labeled "Message", hit "Post Message."
Soldiers can return home with a number of conditions, injuries, and aggravated preexisting conditions. If you believe you have a service-connected physical or psychological injury you may be entitled to Veterans’ Disability Compensation.