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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Crime / Drugs Man Arrested for Allegedly Selling Drugs Before and After AA Meetings

Posted by Cienna Madrid on Tue, Mar 12, 2013 at 12:14 PM

The owner of a south Seattle club known for hosting Alcoholics Anonymous meetings was arrested last night for allegedly selling oxycodone before and after support group meetings for addicts and alcoholics, according to a press release sent by U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan's office.

According to the criminal complaint filed against 64-year-old Michael Martin Shepard, a tipster informed Seattle police that illegal drug sales were taking place at the Nomadian Community Resource Center off Rainier Ave S, which Shepard owns. During the subsequent police investigation, Shepard allegedly sold oxycodone to informants five times in the past two months, the release explains.

"The complaint alleges that Shepard would only deal drugs to those who became a 'member' of the NCRC in an attempt to evade detection by law enforcement," the release states. "The sales occurred both before and after the NCRC hosted sanctioned AA meetings for addicts and alcoholics."

Ugh. What an allegedly terrible environment in which to try and stay sober.

Then there's this: "Further investigation revealed that Shepard was obtaining the pills, in some instances, by purchasing prescriptions from those who had been prescribed the medication," the release states.

Durkan's office notes that distribution of oxycodone is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine.

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Comments (16) RSS

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Somebody's been watching Breaking Bad.

Posted by deign_to_say on March 12, 2013 at 12:18 PM

AA can never take competition...

Posted by Fenrox on March 12, 2013 at 12:21 PM

There has to be a special place in hell for dealers who prey on people in recovery.

Posted by fletc3her on March 12, 2013 at 12:25 PM

It's pretty common knowledge that IOP and meetings are great places to find drugs.

Methadone clinics and needle exchanges are even better.

Posted by Swearengen on March 12, 2013 at 12:48 PM

@1, more like some writers at Breaking Bad have been to AA!

Posted by gloomy gus on March 12, 2013 at 12:53 PM

@5, ha ha ha, sob.

Posted by Cienna Madrid on March 12, 2013 at 12:54 PM

@6, laugh-cry is the PERFECT response sometimes. I heard of a guy in AA a decade, decided to swish some Listerine one morning, next thing you know he was half-dead in an Aurora motel surrounded by dozens of Listerine empties.

Writers who don't listen in at the occasional open AA meeting are missing out. Between the real stories and the bravado-laced obvious embellishments SO MUCH raw material.

Posted by gloomy gus on March 12, 2013 at 1:10 PM

@7, girl, I hear you. As a child of 7 or 8, I was sent off to FAMILY REHAB with my estranged dad in southern Idaho. I was so enraged--no crime I could've committed justified banishing me to a cornfield with a pack of drunks.

The stories they told were interesting but my grandparents ended up calling my mother and cutting my rehab stint short because I wouldn't stop singing "99 bottles of beer on the wall." Ah, memories.

Posted by Cienna Madrid on March 12, 2013 at 1:23 PM

Oh man, I went to a couple AA meetings as support for a friend a number of years ago. It was a room full of people with varying degrees of mental health problems "treating" each other with pop psychology and a heavy dose of religion. Truly surreal and dysfunctional environment. I know some people find success with it but it's amazing to me that this remains our primary means of treating addiction in this day and age. I'd rather have the oxycodone.

Posted by blip on March 12, 2013 at 1:29 PM

"family rehab with my estranged dad in southern Idaho". Oh. Oh. Oh.

Posted by gloomy gus on March 12, 2013 at 1:31 PM

Now come on --- it was AA, not NA. Totally different.

Posted by Beetlecat on March 12, 2013 at 1:35 PM

Cannabis is safer than alcohol, or oxyC...;-D

Posted by pupuguru on March 12, 2013 at 2:32 PM

" Nomadian Community Resource Center off Rainier" I could not find on a map...is this the 1504 Club?

Posted by johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt on March 12, 2013 at 4:26 PM

Ahhh, memories ... No Christmas can ever top the one where my family all went to visit my brother in rehab, waiting while the staff opened all the gifts we brought him beforehand to make sure we hadn't smuggled anything in.

Gold star moment of the visit: my brother lamenting over how he would have to find a whole new circle of friends because he wouldn't be able to be around the old crowd anymore - my mom suggested, "well, you wouldn't have to drink with them, maybe you could just have coke ... Er, well, 7-Up ..."

Good times.

Posted by mr. herriman on March 13, 2013 at 12:18 AM

"What an allegedly terrible environment in which to try and stay sober."

Yes, being around addicts is a pretty poor environment to try and stay sober.

Posted by undead ayn rand on March 13, 2013 at 10:51 AM

Don't believe everything you read - sounds like the undercover person acted like he was sick and needed help - what is better - leaving the meeting and shooting up/smoking whatever vs. taking some meds. hmmmm................ sounds to me like the guy was trying to help him not hurt him.

Posted by Redvamp6 on March 23, 2013 at 1:54 PM