BOSTON - Two men were convicted late yesterday in federal court of selling drugs at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bedford.
Steve Jakaitis, 49, of Lowell, pleaded guilty to distribution of buprenorphine and conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. David Robson, 53, of Tewksbury, pleaded guilty to distribution and conspiracy of oxycodone. Jakaitis and Robson, both of whom are veterans, were charged in January.
Had the case proceeded to trial the government’s evidence would have proven that in 2011, Jakaitis sold buprenorphine to an undercover federal agent, and conspired with Robson to sell oxycodone to an undercover federal agent at the VA Medical Center’s Bedford campus. Additionally, Robson conspired with Jakaitis to sell, and did sell, oxycodone to an undercover federal agent at the facility which provides multiple services to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, including alcohol and drug abuse/addiction rehabilitation services.
Judge Richard Stearns scheduled sentencing for October 5, 2012. Jakaitis and Robson each face up to 20 years in federal prison to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Jeffrey G. Hughes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Chief John C. Duffey of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service, Bedford VA Medical Center; and Kevin L. Lane, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Boston Field Division made the announcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda P. M. Strachan of Ortiz’s Health Care Fraud Unit.
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