Father and son arrested for $1.5M drug trafficking and forgery ring

A Bronx father and his son were arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly funneling $1.5 million in painkillers onto the black market over the span of four years.

Nelson Quezada Sr., 53, and his son Riquelvin Quezada, 24, faced drug- and forgery-related charges, with the elder Quezada also charged as a major trafficker, the only New York drug charge that could result in a lifetime prison sentence, according to the office of the special narcotics prosecutor.

“Set up like a traditional drug trafficking crew, this family business sold millions of dollars worth of diverted oxycodone pills to New Yorkers… The Quezadas allegedly forged stolen prescriptions, scammed pharmacies and oversaw the day-to-day oxy distribution and profit,” DEA Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt stated.

From 2010 to 2014, the Quezadas allegedly recruited “runners” to fill fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions which they sold to the Quezadas who would, in turn, bundle the drugs for black market sales, according to the special narcotics prosecutor’s office.

The investigation revealed 464 forged oxycodone prescriptions that were written on official paper illegally obtained from medical facilities, authoritiesreported. Those false prescriptions yielded more than 51,000 oxycodone pills, which were valued at $1.5 million total.

The trafficking ring started to fall apart in 2013 when investigators first became aware of a pattern of forgeries, and authorities then worked for years to unravel the conspiracy, officials stated.

“By collaborating resources, law enforcement was able to identify, investigate and dismantle this significant oxycodone trafficking organization,” Agent Hunt was quoted by the special narcotics prosecutor.