Leaving a Carbon (and Criminal) Footprint: Water Bottle Used To Track Down Cuban Brothers In Record Pharmaceutical Heist
jonathanturley
Amed Villa, 46, has learned the wisdom of the recycling slogan “Don’t throw it away, it can be used in some other way.” In his case, police used one of his water bottles left at a crime scene to bust him and his brother in an $80 million drug conspiracy. Once again, as many defense attorneys remind their clients, recycle, recycle, recycle. Nine out of ten successful criminals remove their job-related trash.
Cuban-citizens Amed Villa and his brother, Amaury Villa, 37, were nailed in the largest pharmaceutical heist in U.S. history. They had stolen huge amounts of Gemzar, a chemotherapy drug used to treat lung cancer; Zyprexa, a depressant and antipsychotic used to treat bipolar disorder; Prozac; and Cymbalta, a drug for anxiety disorders. A total of eleven people were arrested. Ahmed was also alleged involved in stealing 3,500 cases of cigarettes worth more than $8 million from a warehouse in Peoria, Illinois.
During a five hour operation to clear out a warehouse, Amed touched a water bottle and that was all the police needed.
