In New York City, federal prosecutors announced criminal charges Tuesday against top executives of Rochester Drug Co-operative, a major producer of opioids, charging them with a conspiracy to profit by illegally distributing controlled substances. This is Geoffrey Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Geoffrey Berman: “RDC’s former CEO, Laurence Doud, is in custody and will be presented to a judge in the Southern District of New York this afternoon. Doud is charged with conspiring to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl and with conspiring to defraud the DEA. Doud led RDC during the entire period of the charged conspiracy and, as alleged, personally directed and profited from much of its criminal activity.”

The company’s chief compliance officer also faces criminal charges. Both executives face possible life in prison.