New York man convicted in Vermont for prescription drug trafficking

BURLINGTON, Vt. — A suburban New York City man was convicted in federal court Thursday on multiple counts related to his role in a prescription drug trafficking ring that included a former New York City police officer.

This conviction resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the FBI, the DEA, the Vermont State Police, the police departments for Burlington (Vermont) and New York City.

Michael J. Foreste, aka Beast, 36, of Valley Stream, New York, was convicted on eight counts related to conspiracy and distribution of Oxycodone in Vermont, and two counts of money laundering in a two-week trial that ended Thursday.

A superseding indictment charged Foreste with working with others to sell oxycodone from 2008 through June 2014. Co-conspirators include Andre Clarke, Carol Clarke and Dannis Hackney. During that period, Andre Clarke served as a New York City police officer. 

Clarke pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy earlier this year and resigned from the NYPD.  His sentencing is scheduled for November 7. In September 2016, Hackney pled guilty to several charges relating to his involvement in the oxycodone scheme. He is also awaiting sentencing. Carol Clarke is under federal indictment for conspiring to distribute oxycodone and is currently awaiting trial. 

According to prosecutors, Carol Clarke, who lived in Brooklyn, received a monthly prescription for hundreds of oxycodone to treat a medical condition. She allegedly diverted the pills to her brother, Andre Clarke, of Long Island, who supplied them to Foreste. 

In the early part of the conspiracy, Foreste brought the pills to Vermont himself and sold them with the help of certain local addicts. However, in April 2012 Vermont State Police stopped Foreste in a vehicle on Interstate 91 North and seized 659 oxycodone pills from his person. 

Based on this incident, Foreste sustained a federal conviction in 2013 for possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.  He remained on pretrial release throughout that earlier case.  After April 2012, Foreste began working with Hackney, of Chittenden County, Vermont, who sold Foreste’s pills to Burlington area addicts. Foreste eventually began mailing the pills to Hackney via U.S. Mail. The Clarkes, Foreste, and Hackney transferred drug proceeds using various bank accounts, resulting in Foreste’s two convictions for money laundering.  Foreste and Hackney have been in custody since their arrests in June 2014. 

Foreste’s sentencing is not yet scheduled. He faces a maximum prison sentence of twenty years on each count. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christina E. Nolan and Kevin J. Doyle.