7 Charged With Selling Drugs at VA Medical Centers

A group of men have been accused by federal authorities of selling heroin to veterans being treated at two New Jersey VA medical centers, including the one in Lyons.

The seven men, listed below, were taken into custody Tuesday by special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General and the FBI, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. Five were arrested at the Lyons facility, one at an East Orange VA medical center and one at his home. Each faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. All of the men are veterans themselves.

“According to our charges, these seven men abused their access to VA medical facilities to peddle dangerous drugs to other veterans undergoing treatment,” said Fishman. 

“It is tragic that those who have served their country would exploit their fellow veterans.”

In addition to separately being charged for allegedly distributing heroin, Fishman said other drugs were also sold at the facilities, including crack and hydromorphone. VA medical centers seek to offer medical and rehabilitation treatment for veterans, including drug rehabilitation, in addition to offering social services and vocational training.

An investigation of the men began two years ago by the Office of the Inspector General after a veteran's fatal heroin overdose at the Lyons facility, Jeffrey Hughes, special agent in charge of U.S. Veterans Affairs, said.

"Subsequently, the FBI and VA OIG jointly launched an operation which focused on combating the sale of heroin and crack cocaine to patients at Lyons. VA management at Lyons, including VA Police, provided invaluable support during the course of this investigation. We hope anyone selling drugs at VA treatment facilities will realize that we will vigorously pursue them to protect veterans seeking treatment," Hughes said.

Those charged include:

• Phillip Johnson, 52, of Basking Ridge: one count heroin distribution; one count cocaine base distribution;
• Robin Merritt, 55, of Hackensack: one count heroin distribution; one count cocaine base distribution; one count hydromorphone distribution;
  
• Abdul Kareem Muhammad, 50, of Boundbrook: one count heroin distribution; one count cocaine distribution;
  
• Yusef Muhammad, 59, of North Plainfield: one count heroin distribution
  
• Thomas Pearson, 66, of Dover: one count heroin distribution;
  
• Christopher Shalaby, 31, of Somerville: one count heroin distribution;
  
• John Stuckey, 49, of Newark: one count heroin distribution.