Pages

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

HAMBURG DOCTOR SENTENCED FOR ILLEGALLY IMPORTING HEROIN AND COCAINE

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Dr. Torin Finver, 55, of Hamburg, NY, who was convicted of importation of a controlled substance, was sentenced to a period of time served (approximately eight months) by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that on November 21, 2018, Customs and Border Protection officers examined a parcel at the Chicago, Illinois, post office addressed to “T Finver,” with a residence in Hamburg, NY. The parcel was from Germany and the sender information was fictitious. The package field tested positive for cocaine.
Subsequently, two similar packages addressed to the defendant sent from California were located by U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspectors in Rochester. One of the packages field tested positive for heroin, the other contained cocaine.
On December 15, 2018, during review of incoming mail in Hamburg, Postal Inspectors located a fourth parcel addressed to “T Finver.” On December 17, 2018, Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations arranged for a controlled delivery of the parcel. A U.S. Postal Inspector acting in an undercover capacity delivered the parcel and other mail addressed to “Torin FINVER.” After knocking on the front door, the Postal Inspector encountered the defendant and handed over the parcel and the mail. Finver was arrested at the scene.
During an interview with investigators, the defendant stated that he ordered “darkweb” packages of heroin and cocaine from the Dream Market marketplace, seven times over two months. Finver used Bitcoin to pay for the narcotics.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin. Additional assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Chicago, Illinois.