Owner of Stanton Car Dealership Conspires to Distribute Oxycodone

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Delaware
June 13, 2011

Sentenced to Serve 108 Months in Prison

David C. Weiss, Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, and Richard A. McFeely, Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced that Michael R. Scalia, owner of Mike’s Auto Sales in Stanton, Delaware, was sentenced today to serve 108 months in prison for conspiring to unlawfully distribute thousands of Oxycodone pills in the summer of 2009, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(C). As part of his sentence, Scalia also forfeited $50,000 to the United States.

According to facts disclosed at Scalia’s plea and sentencing hearings, in 2009 Scalia operated an extensive drug distribution operation out of his used car lot—Mike’s Auto Sales—in Stanton, Delaware. In particular, Scalia utilized a large network of individuals to unlawfully purchase various dosages of Oxycodone pills and then resell them at a profit to addicts and other drug dealers. For Oxycontin 80 mg pills alone, the defendant’s operation involved approximately 10,000 tablets, with a street value of $400,000.

Scalia was arrested for conspiring to distribute Oxycodone on September 14, 2009, and pleaded guilty to this offense on April 19, 2010. This conviction is the result of a two-year joint investigation into Scalia—including the use of court-ordered Title III wiretaps—by the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Delaware State Police Special Investigations Unit, and the Delaware State Office of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

Acting United States Attorney David C. Weiss stated that “Oxycodone abuse is one of our country’s fastest growing drug problems, and this office is committed to prosecuting cases involving the unlawful sale of these pills.” Weiss praised the collaborative work of the agencies involved in this effort, “These cases do not succeed without complete cooperation between state and federal law enforcement. Both are to be commended for their communication and teamwork.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely said, “This case sends a clear message that the FBI views trafficking in illegal prescription drugs as a serious crime. Drug dealers, including doctors and pharmacists who profit from the illegal prescription drug trade, are on notice that the FBI and its law enforcement partners will use all of the investigative resources necessary to bring them to justice.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn A. Weede of the District of Delaware. For further information, contact Public Information Officer Kimberlynn Reeves at (302) 573-6277, ext. 16287.