Ohio Man Sentenced for Distributing Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals in the Eastern District of Texas

 Conviction Comes as Part of Joint Federal and Local Law Enforcement Anti-Drug Operation

PLANO, Texas – An Ohio man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.

Austin Seymour, 26, of Uniontown, Ohio, pleaded guilty on Jan. 26, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.

“The Eastern District of Texas remains committed to pursuing the fight against illegal narcotics on all fronts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.  “This defendant was in the business of distributing counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs, which can often have deadly consequences for the user.  These drugs are increasingly being sold in the Eastern District of Texas, and our Office is committed to leveraging all of our resources to locate and prosecute those responsible for distributing these unsafe drugs into our communities.”

“Counterfeit pharmaceutical pills like the ones Mr. Seymour and his co-conspirators distributed throughout North Texas are responsible for the destruction of countless families and lives taken too soon,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas.  “DEA Dallas will continue to partner with our communities to educate and prevent these drugs from reaching our homes and will most importantly, hold those accountable who choose to distribute and profit from this poison.”

According to information presented in court, in February 2019, Seymour became the primary distributor for the Gary Collin Bussell drug trafficking organization and was responsible for the organization’s drug stash house.  In so doing, he also assumed the role of the primary distributor to customers in the DFW area.  He distributed counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, marijuana, and THC and was responsible for making payments to the organization’s narcotics suppliers.  When a search was executed at Seymour’s residence, agents found a loaded Glock firearm in his vehicle along with various narcotics, bulk U.S. currency, a money counter, and a drug ledger in his apartment.  Seymour was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 8, 2019 and charged with drug trafficking violations.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Dallas Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Combs.