A Paterson New Jersey man who pleaded guilty to illegally selling prescription drugs to drug addicts and drug dealers in North Jersey is now headed to prison.

The suspect is a 62-year-old man formerly resided in Paterson NJ. He was placed under arrest in July 2013 after police discovered more than 500 oxycodone pills at his home and in his car. He was later charged with numerous drug offenses.

The investigation into the suspect was part of an operation known as “Operation White Silk,” with detectives from the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) looking into allegations that the suspect supplied drug dealers in North Jersey with up to 1,000 prescription pills and prescription opioids on a weekly basis. The suspect reportedly employed drug runners who would go around North Jersey neighborhoods and secure prescription drugs like oxycodone, Percocet, and Xanax from local residents with extra medication. The suspect subsequently sold the prescription medication at a marked-up price, primarily targeting drug addicts and other drug dealers.

Earlier this year, the suspect pleaded guilty to very serious criminal charges of promoting organized street crime. The guilty plea came as part of a plea deal with New Jersey State prosecutors.

Now the suspect has been sentenced to a term of incarceration of 10 years in NJ State Prison, which is on the low end of the sentencing range for a first degree drug crime.

For additional information about this case, see the NJ.com article, “Man Who Helped ‘Fuel’ Opioid Addiction in N.J. Gets 10 Years in Prison.”