Marcella Corona, and Anjeanette Damon

Reno Gazette-Journal

5:40 p.m. update:

The arraignment of a group of defendants at the Bruce R. Thompson Courthouse and Federal Building in Reno has ended with all defendants except for Richard "Richie" West II being released.

West; local doctor Robert Rand; and some employees at Jones-West Ford in Reno are facing a variety of charges, including being part of a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.

RGJ reporters Anjeanette Damon and Marcella Corona were at the courthouse; their live tweets from the hearings can be found below.

This is a developing story; stay with RGJ.com for further details.

Watch: 8 arraigned in federal court in oxycodone drug bust

2:24 p.m. update:

An arraignment is scheduled for 3 p.m. Follow along with RGJ reporters Marcella Corona and Anjeanette Damon as they live-tweet from the Bruce R. Thompson Courthouse and Federal Building.

Family links son's death to federal oxycodone drug bust in Reno

12:20 p.m. update:

Federal prosecutors on Friday charged a Reno doctor, Richard “Richie” West II and employees at Jones-West Ford dealership with being part of a conspiracy to sell oxycodone.

Local family doctor Robert Rand, 53, faces several drug-related charges including continuing a criminal enterprise and distributing a controlled substance resulting in a death, among others. Rand operates Rand Family Care in South Reno.

West, 40, faces similar drug-related charges including three counts of distributing oxycodone.

The charges stemmed from an ongoing federal investigation, officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

“This investigation targeted a major distribution source of deadly and addictive prescription opioids being diverted to street sales across the region,” Daniel Neill, assistant special agent in charge with the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a statement Friday. “These arrests clearly demonstrate that DEA and our law enforcement partners are committed to stemming the tide of drugs being diverted to the black market, as well as stopping medical professionals who disregard their ethical obligations and abuse the public’s trust.”

Several others also face drug charges including Omar Ahmad, 31; Joshua Green, 34; Clint Bloodworth, 40; Kathleen Griffin, 43; Alan Martinez, 59 and Braden Riley, 40, all of Reno.

Authorities also arrested and charged Ryan Smith, 40, of Carson City. All nine involved were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.

Ahmad, Griffin, Martinez, Bloodworth and Riley were employees at the Jones-West Ford dealership. Green and Smith were former employees.

Photos: 7 of the 9 arrested in Reno oxycodone case

Rand was arrested Friday morning in San Francisco and will appear before a U.S. magistrate judge, officials said. The other eight people involved are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Cooke at 3 p.m. Friday in the Bruce R. Thompson Federal Courthouse in Reno.

Rand was accused of illicitly prescribing oxycodone, according to a criminal complaint obtained from the U.S. District Attorney’s Office. Since late September 2015, Rand allegedly prescribed “substantial amounts” of oxycodone to his co-defendants.

They then filled the prescriptions at local pharmacies and distributed them, according to complaint.

One of the prescriptions distributed resulted in death of at least one person, who federal prosecutors referred to only by their initials: M.Y.

Reno oxycodone bust: What we know now

“Our U.S. Attorney’s Office is working aggressively with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to attack the growing problem of prescription drug abuse,” U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden. “We have prioritized unlawful prescription drug distribution cases, and plan to shut down dangerous ‘pill mill’ operations that are contributing to what amounts to, in many instances, a deadly problem.”

On Thursday, federal agents and local law enforcement officers raided the dealership on Kietzke Lane. FBI agents were also at West’s home in Reno. They had obtained search and arrest warrants at six locations including two homes, two offices and two vehicles, and they seized evidence, officials said. Details on what authorities seized was not immediately known.

Nearly two million people abused or depended on prescription opioids in 2014, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdose deaths from opioids nearly quadrupled since 1999.

In 2014, more than 28,000 people were killed from overdoses that involved opioids – that’s more than any year on record. More than half of those deaths were from prescription opioids, according to the CDC.

On his practice's website, Rand's biography said he specializes in pain management.

"I have a strong interest in, and do quite a bit of treatment of pain and pain related issues," according to Rand's biography on his practice's website. "I am not a pain management specialist but I am a Family Doctor that takes your pain issues seriously."

The case is being investigated by the Safe Streets Task Force in Reno. That includes the DEA, FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation.

Officers with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and the Reno Police Department were also assisting in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Keller.

11:05 a.m. update:

A total of nine people were arrested and accused of distributing drugs such as oxycodone following a police raid at Jones West Ford and at the home of Richard West II in an ongoing federal investigation.

Read the criminal complaint below.

The people arrested and facing drug-related charges include Robert Gene Rand, a family doctor in Reno.

Others arrested include Omar Ashan Ahmad, Joshua Ross Green, Clint Mitchell Bloodworth, Kathleen Griffin, Ryan Daniel Smith, Alan Russel Martinez and Braden Kyle Riley.

Rand and West were both accused engaging in “a continuing criminal enterprise,” according to a criminal complaint obtained from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Friday.

Rand was allegedly issued prescriptions for oxycodone. The prescription was not a issued for a “legitimate medical purpose” and resulted in death, according to the document.

Check with RGJ for more updates as they become available.

10:28 a.m update:

Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration are at the medical offices of Rand Family Care on McCarran Boulevard.

A Washoe County sheriff deputy and Reno police officer are also on scene.

Dr. Robert Rand is the owner. According to his bio page, he did his medical residency at UNR and studied acupuncture at UCLA.

9:10 a.m. update:

In addition to Richard West II, the Drug Enforcement Administration booked six individuals into the Washoe County Jail on Thursday.

No charges are listed for any of the six and officials have not commented on whether the six individuals are related to West's case.

They are: Joshua Green, Kathleen Griffin, Clint Bloodworth, Ryan Daniel Smith, Braden Riley, and Omar Ahmad.

On her Facebook page, Griffin lists her employer as Jones West Ford. Ahmad posted a photo of himself with West on his Facebook page and also had photos of the Jones West Ford display at the 2014 auto show on his page.

8:50 a.m. update:

Afshan West, wife of Richard West II, declined to comment on her husband's arrest Friday morning and asked that media respect her family's privacy. She said she didn't know any details of the arrest or investigation.

7:28 a.m. update:

More details are set to be released Friday after federal agents raided a the Jones West Ford dealership and a private home on Thursday.

According to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office website, Richard Winston West II was booked Thursday into the Washoe County Detention Center. On Friday morning, there was still no information about why he was being held.

RGJ reporters are pursuing confirmation of more details.



WHAT WE KNOW NOW:

* Federal agents conducted a raid Thursday at the Jones West Ford dealership on Kietzke Lane in Reno.

* FBI also were at the home of Richard West II in South Reno. Officials asked onlookers to stay away from the home. Richard Winston West II was booked into jail late Thursday.

* Agents involved included members of the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

MORE DETAIL:

Federal agents and local law enforcement officers raided the Jones West Ford dealership and the home of Richard West II in Reno on Thursday, but details about the operation likely won’t be made public until Friday.

Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration obtained search and arrest warrants as part of an ongoing federal investigation, said Natalie Collins, spokeswoman for the United States Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas.

Collins confirmed that a federal task force was on scene at the dealership on Kietzke Lane. FBI agents were also at West’s home and were seen carrying boxes into the residence. Agents at the home were not discussing the operation and were asking onlookers to stay away from the home.

“They have executed some arrest warrants, but we will not be releasing the names until later, as they are still making arrests,” Collins said in an email early Thursday afternoon.

All the documents were sealed, but more details on the operation will likely be released on Friday, Collins said in the email.

DEA Resident Agent Jerry Miller, who was at the dealership, said he could not provide further details about the situation and referred all questions to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Robert Bohls, FBI supervisory senior resident agent, described the case as “very sensitive.”

Officers with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and the Reno Police Department were also assisting in the investigation. It was not immediately known how long authorities were investigating.

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office also could not confirm on Thursday if anyone arrested in the operation was booked in the Washoe County Detention Center. A report detailing who was arrested on Thursday will be made public on Friday.

After the raid ended, a security official for the dealership said the business would run as normal.

Richard West Sr., the father of Richard West II, was expected to release a statement, according to the security official employed by Jones West Ford, but nothing had been made public as of later Thursday afternoon.

Calls made to Jones West Ford and the Reno Police Department for further details were unsuccessful Thursday.

Check with RGJ for more updates as they become available.