A New Jersey resident has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess oxycodone. The controlled substance, known for its addictive properties, was unlawfully distributed between November 2022 and March 2023.
Chris Ruediger, aged 61 and residing in Pennsauken, admitted in court to purchasing prescription oxycodone pills from a relative and selling them to another family member engaged in illegal distribution. According to court documents, he distributed between 100 and 400 kilograms of opioids by converted drug weight. Ruediger also admitted to attempting to obstruct the investigation by trying to dissuade a co-conspirator from cooperating with law enforcement.
In November 2024, Ruediger pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Matthew R. Galeotti from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, announced the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, with cooperation from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division. Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are leading the prosecution.
The Fraud Section is at the forefront of the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat healthcare fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since its inception in March 2007, the program, now active in 27 federal districts, has brought charges against over 5,800 defendants who have fraudulently billed federal health care programs and private insurers for over $30 billion. Alongside, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and HHS-OIG are taking measures to hold providers accountable for healthcare fraud involvement. Additional details can be accessed at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.