Hoax claims legal drugs crackdown; feds unamused
SAN DIEGO — Two hoax letters about the shutting down of beach-area pharmacies were emailed to the news media Tuesday morning purporting to be from U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy.
"This office did not issue those press releases," Duffy said at an 11 a.m. news conference. "We are looking into the source of the emails."
The first hoax release was sent at 7:05 a.m., claiming that legal proceedings, including criminal charges and forfeiture, would be brought against targeted pharmacies in La Jolla, Carmel Valley and Pacific Beach due to the high rates of pharmaceutical drug abuse. It further said the businesses had to shut down in 45 days.
A second hoax email was sent at 8:52 a.m. saying the first one was a fake and a "feeble attempt" to defame Duffy's character.
About an hour later Duffy's office sent out an email saying both letters were fake.
"It's concerning that these kinds of notices could go out," Duffy said.
She said she learned about the hoax letters when her office began receiving calls from reporters and pharmacies. Fake "cease and desist" notices had been posted on several pharmacies, she said.
As Duffy was speaking to reporters outside the federal building in downtown San Diego, a man who said his name was Dexter Haight showed up claiming responsibility for the hoax. He handed out a news release and then walked away, refusing to answer reporters' questions.
When asked if he was a suspect in the fraud, Duffy replied, "He is now."
The emails were sent on U.S. Department of Justice letterhead. The voice mail at the phone number listed on the release said the caller had reached the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Duffy said it is against the law to impersonate a federal officer and that the crime carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
The Los Angeles Times posted a story on its website based on the first hoax email, as did the San Diego Reader. U-T San Diego briefly posted a story on its website based on the second email, saying that the original one was a hoax.
Duffy has irritated members of the medical marijuana community by joining with other U.S. attorneys in California to target medical marijuana dispensaries that they say are violating federal laws.
Asked if she thought it was someone who opposes her efforts to close the dispensaries, she said, "That's certainly a thought we will look into."
The man who showed up at Duffy's news conference said he was against using federal resources to shut down the dispensaries operating in compliance with state's medical marijuana law.
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