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WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Two Ohio Valley men have been convicted for their roles in a large prescription painkiller trafficking ring.
United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced that Jordan SORGE, age 22, of Wheeling, W.Va., and Richard W. HERCULES, 50, of McMechen, W. Va., entered guilty pleas before U.S. District Court Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr.
SORGE pleaded guilty to “Conspiracy to Use a Communication Facility to Facilitate the Distribution of a Controlled Substance." HERCULES pleaded guilty to “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Oxycodone."
SORGE faces up to 4 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. HERCULES faces up to 20 years and a $1 million fine.
SORGE and HERCULES were part of group of fifteen people who were indicted in February at the culmination of a sixteen month investigation into the redistribution of oxycodone and other prescription drugs that came to the Ohio Valley from northern Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. Over the course of the investigation thousands of pills were recovered by agents via controlled purchases and court-authorized searches.
The cases were investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, which includes officers and agents from the Wheeling Police Department, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police-BCI, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney John C. Parr is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
