Five Sentenced in Drug Case

U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis and the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET) jointly announced the conviction and sentencing of five defendants who were involved in the illegal sale of prescription medications in the Menominee, Michigan area.

The convictions and sentences were the result of an investigation into an oxycodone distribution ring that was operating in the Menominee, MI area. The investigation began in December of 2010 and involved numerous controlled purchases of oxycodone by an undercover

UPSET detective. The investigation revealed that approximately $300,000 of oxycodone had been illegally sold by the group in Menominee during 2009, 2010 and early 2011. The majority of the oxycodone was obtained through prescriptions filled at pharmacies in Wisconsin, and then brought into Michigan, where it was illegally sold on the street.

Oxycodone is a powerful narcotic pain reliever that may only be obtained with a prescription from a doctor. Nevertheless, this drug has become a favorite of street–level drug traffickers dealing in diverted prescription drugs.

The ringleader of the operation was Justin

Kevin Rivet, age 29, of Menominee, MI. Rivet identified people who had access to oxycodone through a doctor’s prescription and bought some portion of their prescriptions. He then sold to drug users in the area.

Each of the five defendants pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone (commonly known as oxycontin), which is a felony offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The following sentences have been handed down by the

U.S. District Court in Marquette:

* Justin Kevin Rivet: 7 years and 3 months in federal prison.

* Marie Christine Matthews, age 24, of Menominee, MI: 5 years and 10 months in

federal prison.

* Kenneth James Behrendt, age 34, of Menominee, MI: 4 years and 3 months in

federal prison.

* Michael John Dobbins, age 31, of Menominee, MI: 1 year and 3 months in

federal prison.

* Sabrina Leigh Degaynor, age 22, of Marinette, WI: 1 year in federal prison.

UPSET detectives were assisted by police officers from the Menominee Police Department, and special agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).