Man Pleads Guilty in Oxycodone Distribution Scheme

WOBURN, MA - A Tewksbury man pled guilty on Oxycodone distribution charges on Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court. The 34-year-old hired opioid addicts to fill forged Oxycodone prescriptions in exchange for cash or drugs, including pharmacies in Burlington.

His his co-conspirator is scheduled to go on trial in April.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan released a statement with the arrest information. Joseph Khabbaz, 34, of Tewksbury, pled guilty to two counts of distribution of Oxycodone, four counts of uttering a forged prescription for a controlled substance, and conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone.

“It is important that we hold individuals responsible for putting illegal and addictive substances on the streets,” said Ryan in a statement. “During a time when the opioid crisis continues to escalate, the defendant in this case took advantage of individuals suffering from addiction and personally recruited the ‘runners’ in this scheme to distribute Oxycodone.”

From June to December of 2012, Joseph Khabbaz and his alleged coconspirator Howard Barter, 33, of Tewksbury, hired opioid addicts to fill forged Oxycodone prescriptions in exchange for cash or drugs. After the prescriptions were filled, the defendant would then sell the Oxycodone. The scheme resulted in the unlawful diversion of at least 3,000 pills with a black market value of $90,000.

The forged prescriptions were filled at pharmacies in Billerica, Burlington, Lowell, Malden, Tewksbury, Waltham, Watertown, and Wilmington.

Howard Barter is charged with distributing a counterfeit substance, four counts of uttering a false prescription for a controlled substance, and conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone. These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. His trial is scheduled to begin on April 19, 2016.

Preventing opioid addiction is one of the top priorities of Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. As part of this effort she regularly hosts opioid task force meetings, which bring together law enforcement, healthcare professionals and addiction and recovery specialists to talk about innovative was to address this problem.

Judge Robert Gordon sentenced Khabbaz to two-and-a-half years in the House of Correction and five years probation. Judge Gordon also ordered the defendant undergo a mandatory substance abuse evaluation and any treatment recommended by the Department of Probation.

District Attorney Ryan also works closely with local law enforcement partners providing them with Narcan training for first responders and the distribution of Drug Collection Units to provide the public with a safe, accessible way to properly dispose of unused or expired medications.