NBC New York report on Fentanyl overdoses at NJ mall
A police union executive director has been accused of running a fentanyl operation from her home using her office computer and UPS account to order and distribute the deadly substance, police say. Joanne Marian Segovia - who is known as the 'grandma' of the police union - could face up to 20 years in prison.
Police union president Sean Pritchard was shocked by the charges, telling NBC Bay Area: “She’s been the grandma of the POA.”
He added: “This is not the person we’ve known, the person who has worked with fallen officers’ families, organized fundraisers for officers’ kids — just not who we’ve known over a decade.”
Prescoutors allege that the 64-year-old grandma recieved at least 61 packages of the highly addictive drug between October 2015 and January this year.
Segovia faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted, police say.
The packages - disguised at food supplements, wedding party favours, make up and chocolates - came from various countries including China, Canada and India.
According to the complaint, police were made aware of the operation while investigating a drugs ring in India known to ship illegal narcotics to the US.
But Segovia allegedly continued to order the drugs even after she was interviewed by officers in February 2023.
She was later arrested on March 13 after investigators seized a parcel in Kentucky that was addressed to her.
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The ordeal has left Segovia's neighbourhood shocked, with Michael Golloway - who lives two doors down from the alleged criminal - telling New York Post: "She’s more the kind of person you would imagine who would have chocolate chip cookies or something ready for the kids, like a typical grandma.
"This is a complete surprise. There was nothing unusual going on there. It’s like ‘Breaking Bad.’ — you’re not expecting that at all! I mean, everyone is shocked.”
Patricia Briggs told The Post: "Joanne has always been extremely friendly and just enjoyable.
“If somebody asked me who might be doing something untoward, Joanne’s name would never come up on that list. My neighbors and I — we are all gobsmacked.”
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be found in methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, vaping products, as well as counterfeit Xanax, hydrocodone or Oxycodone.
The highly addictive drug is 50 times more potent than heroin, which makes it extremely deadly.
Reports suggest there is a growing epidemic of fentanyl use in the US.
The Drug Enforcement Agency intercepted 379 million fentanyl doses in 2022. This is enough to kill every American.
