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Main Page Framingham Brazilians Defend Illegal Purveyor of Prescription Drugs
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: kwflatbed

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- A man is accused of selling prescription drugs out of a Framingham convenience store that a prosecutor calls a "black market pharmacy."
Carlos Araujo is also accused of selling fake I-Ds and cigarettes without a tax stamp.
Police the 51-year-old was selling the items to illegal immigrants.
Investigators say two narcotics officers were walking by the Globo Express Saturday when they saw a man buying something from a cooler behind the counter.
They stopped him, and found he'd bought amoxicillin.
The police then confronted Araujo, who allegedly admitted he'd been selling prescription drugs without a pharmacist's license.
Police then searched the store and say they found boxes of medications from Brazil, tens of thousands of dollars in cash and the fake I-D, among other things.
Araujo was released on $10,000 bail.

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO60813/

Posted by: fscpd907

Brazilians defend illegal purveyor of meds

By Liz Mineo/Daily News staff

FRAMINGHAM - The arrest of a man accused of selling Brazilian prescription drugs without a pharmacist's license has highlighted a widespread practice, according to local Brazilians.

Framingham Police arrested Carlos Araujo, 51, after two narcotics officers walking by Globo Express at 40 Hollis St. said they noticed an ``out of the ordinary'' transaction Saturday. A man who police said was Araujo had sold an item out of a cooler.

Police found in the cooler a large selection of medications with names in Portuguese. Among them was Bactrim, Amoxicilina, pseudophederine, and several types of birth control pills, including Diad Levanorgestrel (the morning after pill).

Several Brazilian immigrants interviewed at stores on Hollis Street yesterday said they buy medications under the table at some Brazilian shops because they are not familiar with American medication, lack insurance, don't speak English, and cannot afford the high prices in American pharmacies.

``People don't know where to go now,'' said a woman who was buying clothes at a store next to Araujo's shop and would not give her name. ``I bought medication for headaches there. He was doing a service to the Brazilian community.''

Lina de Jesus felt the same way.

``People sold medication to help their fellow men and women,'' she said as she ate lunch at a nearby restaurant. ``They didn't see it as something bad, and neither did the community.''

Finding someone who sells Brazilian medication on the black market is common, said Jesus. Until recently, she said, many shops in the area sold Brazilian medications, but after the police fined a store for selling medication without a license, fewer and fewer shopkeepers are taking the risk.

Still, medications such as antibiotics, painkillers, birth control pills and weight-loss medicines are in great demand, local Brazilians say. Many of those medications can be obtained at pharmacies in Brazil without a prescription, said Percy Andreazi, a Brazilian physician who works as a mental health counselor in Framingham.

``People resort to the black market because many here are uninsured and medications are expensive,'' he said. ``People call their doctors in Brazil and some who travel there bring the medication here. It's a dangerous situation and completely illegal.''

Police said they also found at Araujo's store dozens of fake ID cards with a Massachusetts seal on them. A woman who didn't want to be identified said she heard that the owner sold fake IDs for $50, but others who knew Araujo said he was selling IDs that anyone can buy over the Internet - documents that are not valid for working or driving.

``He's a nice guy and very hardworking,'' said Eliana Miranda, who owns a clothing store on Hollis Street. ``I didn't know he was doing something illegal. He brought his kids to the store sometimes.''

Yesterday, the small shop, sandwiched between a Brazilian church and a clothing store, was closed. Two men who spoke Spanish peeked through the store window and saw soda cans, plastic bags and old newspapers on the floor. When they were told the police had arrested the owner, they declined to be interviewed and left quickly.

Staff writer Liz Mineo can be reached at 508-626-3825 or lmineo@cnc.com.

Posted by: sempergumby

What that not OK in America???????????? It OK in my country so now you (Americans) have to make it Ok for me here.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: csauce777

Quote:

Several Brazilian immigrants interviewed at stores on Hollis Street yesterday said they buy medications under the table at some Brazilian shops because they are not familiar with American medication, lack insurance, don't speak English, and cannot afford the high prices in American pharmacies.

Yeah no shit you illegal f*ck...go back to Brasil and those issues would be resolved. WTF is wrong with this country?!

Posted by: Wolfman

My parents are retired and pushing 80, they have a bunch of meds they take for various things that they're not familiar with, they have insurance but not much, they do speak English but I don't see the relevance, and they can't afford the high price so they get their meds from Canada where it's still expensive but not as much.

Nobody seems to give a shit about a couple of US citizen retirees who spent their lives working for a living and abiding by the laws and now spend most of their income to get the meds they need to stay alive, but now we're supposed to get teary eyed about a bunch of whining illegals? For cryin' out loud, give me a fucking break!

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