Feds: Head of Camden County, NJ, Drug Ring and His Son Sentenced

Authorities say a Camden County man has been sentenced for leading a conspiracy to distribute and sell oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax while also defrauding the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and his son was sentenced for conspiring with his father.

68-year-old Rocco DePoder of Gloucester City was sentenced to 70 months in prison on Friday. His son, 41-year-old Michael DePoder, also of Gloucester City, was sentenced to five years of probation with 14 months of home detention with location monitoring, according to U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig.

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Both men had previous pleaded guilty to drug and fraud-related charges.

According to court documents,

Rocco DePoder admitted that on multiple occasions from June 2019 to March 2020, he worked with Erick Bell and others to sell oxycodone in New Jersey. Rocco DePoder obtained 60 80 mg. oxycodone pills for $25 per pill from Bell on February 3, 2020, with the intention of distributing the pills to other people. He also admitted to purchasing resale quantities of oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax from conspirators and reselling the pills to others, serving as a leader of criminal activity in that conspiracy. Rocco DePoder admitted to selling oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax pills to another person in exchange for a total of $8,374 in SNAP benefits, which were on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, and then personally using some of those SNAP benefits and selling and giving EBT cards to others so they could unlawfully use the SNAP benefits.

Michael DePoder admitted that on multiple occasions from December 2019 to March 2020, he distributed Adderall to his father, Rocco DePoder, as part of a drug distribution conspiracy. Michael DePoder also independently sold oxycodone pills to an associate on multiple occasions. He also admitted to unlawfully acquiring SNAP benefits from his father and unlawfully using and possessing those and other SNAP benefits totaling $2,676.

In addition to the prison terms, Rocco DePoder was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered him to pay restitution of $8,374, and forfeit cellphones, a police badge, and $6,598. Michael DePoder was ordered to pay $2,676 in restitution.

Nine other defendants have already pleaded guilty to charges relative to this case and are all awaiting sentencing, two others are already serving time in prison, and charges are pending against three others.