The executive director of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association has been charged with attempting to illegally import fentanyl.
The Office of the United States Attorney has filed a federal criminal complaint charging Joanne Marian Segovia with an attempt to illegally import a controlled substance in connection with a scheme to bring synthetic opioids into the country and distribute them throughout the United States.
The criminal complaint was filed on March 27, 2023, and unsealed the next day.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said:
“This is an incredibly disturbing allegation. No one is above the law, regardless of who their employer is.
“I want to thank U.S. Attorney Ramsey and his colleagues for aggressively pursuing the sources of fentanyl coming into our communities and holding drug dealers accountable.”
DOJ said: “According to the complaint, Segovia, 64, of San Jose, is the Executive Director of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association (SJPOA).
“The complaint alleges that Segovia used her personal and office computers to order thousands of opioids and other pills to her home and agreed to distribute the drugs elsewhere in the United States.
“The complaint alleges that Segovia was apprehended as part of an ongoing Homeland Security investigation into a network that was shipping controlled substances into the San Francisco Bay Area from abroad.
“The complaint alleges that between October 2015 and January 2023, Segovia had at least 61 shipments mailed to her home, originating from countries including Hong Kong, Hungary, India, and Singapore.
“The manifests for these shipments declared their contents with labels like ‘Wedding Party Favors,’ ‘Gift Makeup,’ or ‘Chocolate and Sweets.’
“But between July 2019 and January 2023, officials intercepted and opened five of these shipments and found that they contained thousands of pills of controlled substances, including the synthetic opioids Tramadol and Tapentadol.
“Certain parcels were valued at thousands of dollars worth of drugs.
“Also alleged is that Segovia used encrypted WhatsApp communications to plan the logistics for receiving and sending pill shipments.
“For example, the complaint describes a three-year period between January 2020 and March 2023 during which Segovia is alleged to have exchanged hundreds of messages with someone using a phone with an India country code.
“The messages discussed details for shipping and payment of pills and contained hundreds of pictures of tablets, shipping labels, packaging, payment receipts, and payment confirmations.
“The complaint alleges that Segovia used her office at the San Jose Police Officers’ Association to distribute controlled substances.
“For example, in spring 2021, Segovia was told by a supplier to send a package to a woman in North Carolina. Segovia then sent this supplier a photograph of a shipment made using the UPS account of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association.
“According to the complaint, Segovia continued to order controlled substances even after being interviewed by federal investigators in February 2023.
“On March 13, 2023, federal agents seized a parcel in Kentucky, containing valeryl fentanyl, addressed to Segovia.
“The package allegedly originated from China on March 10, 2023, and declared its contents as a “clock.”
“Segovia is charged with attempt to unlawfully import valeryl fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 952(a),” DOJ said.
San Jose Police Union Executive, Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, was Charged With Attempted Illegal Importation Of Fentanyl Analogue.https://t.co/ytpMIldSC0
— UsHadrons (@ushadrons) March 30, 2023
64-year-old San Jose resident Joanne Marian Segovia we charged with attempting to “illegally import a controlled substance in connection with a scheme to bring synthetic opioids into the country and distribute them throughout the United States.”https://t.co/iU2JqmsCaA
— Bruno J. Navarro (@Bruno_J_Navarro) March 30, 2023
