Police Bust Virginia Internet Drug Ring

Ten people, including five doctors, and three companies were indicted Wednesday on charges of illegally selling controlled substances and other prescription drugs over the Internet.



Customers bypassed seeing a physician for the orders for weight-loss drugs and other prescriptions, authorities said. This case is about a dangerous new spin on an old problem, U.S Attorney Paul J. McNulty said. Drug trafficking in cyberspace is just as harmful to public safety as drug trafficking on street corners. According to the indictment, the online drug ring allowed customers to order drugs through Web sites. There, customers were allowed to order an unlimited supply, selecting the type and dose. The weight-loss drugs included Bontril, Ionamin, Phentermine, Adipex and Meridia. Prosecutors said site visitors answered questions on a medical form, but no one verified the accuracy of the information, and no one ever met a doctor in person, as required by law. Three of the people indicted, who ran the Web sites, were related. They include: alleged ring leader Victor Chhabra, 32, of Golden Beach, Fla.; his sister, Sabina Faruqui, 30, of Weston, Fla.; and their uncle, Sunil Sethi, 48, of Midlothian, Va. They also were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Chhabra is also charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise because he largely benefited by violating the Controlled Substances Act. Also indicted were formerly licensed physician and Web site operator Daniel Thompson, 48, of Columbus, Ohio, and James Trovato, 38, of Independence, Ohio, who also allegedly ran an online business selling the drugs. The doctors included: Daniel Varalli, 54, of Salem, Va.;William Thompson, 44, of St. Charles, Mo.; Laurence Cockerille Jr., 71, of Litchfield, Ohio; Arturo Portales, 44, of Lexington, Ky.; and Russell Johnson, 50, of Chester, Va. The indictment said the physicians' names were on all of the drugs distributed. Spokeswoman Sam Dibbley on Wednesday declined to say how the ring was discovered.