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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 20 January 2018
5 in US, 2 in Italy charged with running opioid pill “mills”

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — ed down earlier. They al- $21 million. dering, prosecutors said. the news release. “This sort
Two people in Italy and five lege the defendants were About 700 center patients “Throughout this country, of profiteering effectively
U.S. residents have been involved in a widespread are dead, prosecutors and certainly in Tennessee trades human lives for fi-
charged in a fraud and scheme to operate “pill said. A Justice Depart- and Florida, the illegal and nancial riches.”
drug trafficking conspiracy mills” in the U.S. ment news release says a unconscionable mass-dis- Two Italians, Luca Sartini
to distribute opioids in Flori- Prosecutors say defendants “significant percentage of tribution of prescription opi- and Luigi Palma, were ar-
da and Tennessee, leading ran the Urgent Care & Sur- those deaths, directly or in- oids through the operation rested Friday in Rome by
to hundreds of deaths, fed- gery Center Enterprise, directly, were the result of of illegal pain clinics has Italian authorities. U.S. of-
eral prosecutors said Friday. which distributed enough overdosing on narcotics” taken a heavy toll on our ficials are seeking extradi-
The indictments were un- oxycodone, oxymorphone prescribed by the center. citizens, families and com- tion. Federal court records
sealed by federal officials and morphine to generate The scheme involved illegal munities,” U.S. Attorney posted online do not show
Friday in Knoxville but hand- clinic revenue of at least kickbacks and money laun- General Jeff Sessions said in if they have lawyers.q

Olympic gymnast abused by ex-doctor wants him to suffer

president Lou Ann Simon — pornography conviction,
who is facing growing calls the 54-year-old man can
to resign or to be fired by expect to be behind bars
the board. for the rest of his life. Rais-
“Through this terrible situ- man hoped the testimonies
ation, the university has of her fellow survivors will
been perceived as tone never leave him.
deaf, unresponsive and “All these brave women
insensitive to the victims. have power, and we will
We understand the pub- use our voices to make sure
lic’s faith has been shaken. you get what you deserve
The Board has listened and — a life of suffering spent
heard the victims,” chair- replaying the words deliv-
man Brian Breslin said after ered by this powerful army
a closed-door meeting that of survivors,” Raisman said.
lasted more than four hours. Under a plea deal, Nas-
Trustees declined to answer sar faces a minimum sen-
reporters’ questions. Nassar tence of 25 years in prison,
also was a team doctor at but the judge could set
the Indianapolis-based USA the minimum as high as
Gymnastics, which trains 40 years. State prosecu-
Olympians. tors requested a maximum
Raisman said if just one 125-year sentence, reflect-
adult had believed Nas- ing the number of women
Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman gives her victim impact statement, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, in
Lansing, Mich., during the fourth day of sentencing for former sports doctor Larry Nassar, who pled sar’s accusers and had who at that time had come
guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault. “the courage and char- forward with allegations
(Dale G. Young/Detroit News via AP) acter to act, this tragedy against Nassar.
By DAVID EGGERT Roughly 80 of the women isman said. “I love this sport, could have been avoided. “Even though I’m a victim, I
MIKE HOUSEHOLDER and girls whom Larry Nas- and that love is stronger I and so many others would do not and will not live my
Associated Press sar abused under the guise than the evil that resides in have never, ever met you. life as one,” Jordyn Wieber
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — of medical treatment have you, in those who enabled Larry, you should have said. “I’m an Olympian
Olympic gold medalist Aly stood before the court dur- you to hurt many people.” been locked up a long, despite being abused. I
Raisman on Friday con- ing a marathon sentenc- Facing pressure over how long time ago.” worked hard and man-
fronted her former doctor ing hearing that began Michigan State University Nassar pleaded guilty to aged to achieve my goal.
who has pleaded guilty Tuesday, describing with handled allegations made molesting girls at his MSU But I want everyone — es-
to multiple sexual assaults, eloquence and sometimes against Nassar when he office, at home and at a pecially the media — to
warning him that the tes- tears the harm Nassar did was employed there, the Lansing-area gymnastics know that despite my ath-
timony of the “powerful and the impact he has had school’s board of trustees club, sometimes with a par- letic achievements I am
army” of 140 survivors at his on their lives. on Friday asked the state’s ent present. Already sen- one of over 140 women
sentencing will haunt him in “You have not taken gym- attorney general to investi- tenced to 60 years in prison and survivors whose story is
prison. nastics away from me,” Ra- gate but stood by university on a separate federal child important.” q

13-year-old charged with murder in boy’s crossbow killing

CHANDLER, Okla. (AP) — A ties say 10-year-old Austin murder. The Associated shot his friends with the ar- ties he was within earshot of
13-year-old Oklahoma boy Almanza was fatally struck Press is not naming the boy row. The 8-year-old told the incident said he heard
accused of fatally shooting by an arrow, which trav- because of the possibility authorities said he and his the 13-year-old boy say, “I
his 10-year-old friend with eled through his body and he that he could be tried brother had gone to work think I murdered him acci-
a crossbow in anger has then pierced his 8-year-old as a juvenile. At a hearing on a treehouse with the dentally,” according to an
been charged with first-de- brother in the arm. Thursday, a judge ordered 13-year-old boy, but that affidavit. The boy then “ran
gree murder. Prosecutors charged the a psychological evaluation the older boy became home crying.”
The death happened Oct. 13-year-old boy as an of the boy to determine angry when they tried to Lincoln County Sheriff
21 in the small town of adult, making him one of how his case should be leave. The surviving brother Charles Dougherty said in
Chandler, about 40 miles the youngest ever in Okla- handled going forward. said the suspect then shot October that Austin didn’t
(65 kilometers) northeast homa to be charged as Investigators say the boy the arrow. An uncle of the die “because of an acci-
of Oklahoma City. Authori- an adult with first-degree told them he accidentally brothers who told authori- dent.” q