KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On Oct. 4, 2016, a federal grand jury in Knoxville returned a 13-count superseding indictment against Sylvia Hofstetter, 52, of Knoxville, Tenn.; Richard Larson, 80, of Dandridge, Tenn.; Alan Pecorella, 67, of West Orange, N.J.; Theodore McCrary, 69, of Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Courtney Newman, 41, of Knoxville, Tenn.; and Cynthia Clemons, 44, of Knoxville, Tenn., for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone, oxymorphone, and morphine outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, maintenance of drug-involved premises, distribution of oxycodone resulting in death, and money laundering. Pecorella’s medical license was revoked in 2014 by the Tennessee Department of Health.
The superseding indictment on file with the U.S. District Court details the charges against each of the individuals referenced above. All are accused of being responsible for the distribution of a quantity of oxycodone, oxymorphone, and morphine sufficient to generate clinic revenue of at least $17.5M.
If convicted, those charged in the indictment could be imprisoned from 20 years to life and ordered to pay fines up to $1,000,000.
This superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the FBI High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), comprised of investigators assigned to the task force by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Roane County Sheriff’s Office, Harriman Police Department, and Clinton Police Department. The Tennessee Department of Health and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Knoxville Diversion Group also assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy L. Stone, Caryn Hebets, and Anne-Marie Svolto represent the United States in the prosecution of these cases.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until his or her guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The HIDTA program enhances and coordinates drug control efforts among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The program provides agencies with coordination, equipment, technology, and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States. In the Eastern District of Tennessee, HIDTA funds DEA and FBI led drug task forces in Johnson City, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, as well other initiatives to reduce drug crime in the HIDTA. For more information please visit www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/high-intensity-drug-trafficking-areas-program.
The investigation is also part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
