A South Philadelphia man has been sentenced in the District of New Jersey to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance.
According to court documents, between January 2022 and February 2024, Michael Procopio, 50, coordinated the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a leader of South Philadelphia’s notorious ’10th and O Crew’.
Procopio obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area. He then unlawfully distributed them through a network of intermediaries.
In February 2024, during a search of Procopio’s residence pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement found oxycodone, Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine), and other drugs stored in a safe concealed in a hollowed-out dictionary.
During the execution of the search warrant, Procopio stated, “take me to jail” and “I f***ed up.”
Pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, one gram of actual oxycodone is equivalent to 6,700 grams of converted drug weight. Procopio admitted to distributing approximately 14,925 milligrams of oxycodone, which equates to between 80 and 100 kilograms of opioids by converted drug weight.
“The defendant led a criminal ‘crew’ that diverted addictive prescription drugs to sell on the streets of Philadelphia,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Galeotti added, “The unlawful distribution of opioids ravages communities, whether it’s fentanyl from overseas or prescription oxycodone obtained from a doctor. The Department of Justice is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate the illegal sale of these dangerous drugs.”
In June 2024, Procopio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. Court documents show that Procopio was previously convicted of sexual assault in Pennsylvania.
