seodoc
July 12th, 2005, 08:15 PM
Jul 8, 2005 9:27 am US/Central
<H1 minmax_bound="true">Online Pharmacy Owner Can Be Free On Bail</H1>
<DIV id=storysandbox minmax_bound="true">
<I minmax_bound="true">(AP)[/I] <I minmax_bound="true">Minneapolis[/I] The owner of an online pharmacy that was shut down by the government and is the target of a criminal investigation can go free on bail, with restrictions, a federal judge ruled Thursday. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Judge Michael Davis set bail at $50,000 for Christopher Smith, 25, of Prior Lake, Minn., who was arrested last week as he returned home from the Dominican Republic, where the government contends he was trying to get back into the Internet pharmacy business -- against a court order. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Smith hasn't been charged with a crime, but prosecutors wanted him held in contempt of court for allegedly violating an order Davis issued in May that shut down his business, Xpress Pharmacy Direct. The government has alleged the Burnsville company illegally sold narcotics and other drugs. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Engisch told Davis prosecutors plan to have Smith indicted later this year, but she couldn't predict exactly when. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Davis granted a request by Smith's attorney, Joe Friedberg, to release him while the contempt case is pending. Under a schedule Davis laid out, it won't be resolved before late August. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Friedberg told Davis the only part of his order Smith violated was withdrawing $2,000 from a frozen bank account. He also said Smith's company did nothing illegal. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Besides bail, Davis also ordered Smith to be on electronic monitoring, surrender any passports he might hold, and not travel outside the state without permission. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Davis also told Smith he was sure Friedberg would admonish him to stay away from computers and not set up any more Web sites until he rules. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Friedberg said Smith would post bond Friday. </DIV>
(c 2005 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
<H1 minmax_bound="true">Online Pharmacy Owner Can Be Free On Bail</H1>
<DIV id=storysandbox minmax_bound="true">
<I minmax_bound="true">(AP)[/I] <I minmax_bound="true">Minneapolis[/I] The owner of an online pharmacy that was shut down by the government and is the target of a criminal investigation can go free on bail, with restrictions, a federal judge ruled Thursday. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Judge Michael Davis set bail at $50,000 for Christopher Smith, 25, of Prior Lake, Minn., who was arrested last week as he returned home from the Dominican Republic, where the government contends he was trying to get back into the Internet pharmacy business -- against a court order. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Smith hasn't been charged with a crime, but prosecutors wanted him held in contempt of court for allegedly violating an order Davis issued in May that shut down his business, Xpress Pharmacy Direct. The government has alleged the Burnsville company illegally sold narcotics and other drugs. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Engisch told Davis prosecutors plan to have Smith indicted later this year, but she couldn't predict exactly when. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Davis granted a request by Smith's attorney, Joe Friedberg, to release him while the contempt case is pending. Under a schedule Davis laid out, it won't be resolved before late August. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Friedberg told Davis the only part of his order Smith violated was withdrawing $2,000 from a frozen bank account. He also said Smith's company did nothing illegal. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Besides bail, Davis also ordered Smith to be on electronic monitoring, surrender any passports he might hold, and not travel outside the state without permission. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Davis also told Smith he was sure Friedberg would admonish him to stay away from computers and not set up any more Web sites until he rules. <BR minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">Friedberg said Smith would post bond Friday. </DIV>
(c 2005 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)