Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

Federal authorities are weighing the possibility of issuing the New Orleans Saints a hefty fine for "violating laws governing the proper storage, control and dispensing of prescription drugs" in 2009, the Washington Post reported Monday as part of a series of stories on how NFL teams handle prescription pain killers.

The issue with Saints and the prescription pain killer Vicodin was first brought to light when the team's former security director, Geoffrey Santini, filed a civil suit against the team in 2010. Santini claimed in the suit that a total of about 130 Vicodin pills went missing during a four-month period in early 2009. Santini installed a hidden camera and obtained videotape of Saints assistant coach Joe Vitt, who served as the team's interim coach in 2012, unlocking the prescription drug locker three times to remove a handful of pills. Vitt tried another time but was unsuccessful because the lock had been changed. The Post reviewed the videotapes that Santini made and reported that Vitt could be clearly made out removing the pills.

http://imgick.nola.com/home/nola-med...a23007a04d.jpg

Santini, in the lawsuit, claimed that Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis directed him and the training staff to cover up evidence of the theft before a mandatory NFL audit by changing the logs to say that all of the pills were properly distributed to Vitt for a legitimate medical reason.

Eventually, according to the lawsuit, Loomis directed all information to be turned over to the U.S. Attorney's Office and Drug Enforcement Agency officials. The suit later was settled by arbitration.

In 2010 a local DEA spokesman told The Associated Press "there is a pending investigation" of the matter and the U.S. Attorney at the time, Jim Letten, said his office was aware of the matter but declined comment. No timetable for the DEA investigation was offered by the spokesman and an update has never been made public until Monday's Post report.

According to the Post report, Vitt agreed in U.S. District Court to enter what's known as a pre-trial diversion program, "a form of probation for first-time offenders in which he fulfilled certain obligations for 12 months, ranging from paying a fine to undergoing education, according to two people familiar with the agreement."

The Post reported, citing anonymous sources, that DEA investigators unearthed a number of violations with the Saints and worked with the team to bring the organization into better compliance.

The Saints declined to comment to the Post on the report.

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Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

How long does it take for a federal agency to "weigh possibilities"? Scales are near frozen from rust on this one.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

The White House drinks cabinet must need refilled.
Fine the Saints and by the bourbon

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

It's the sequester................somebody has to pay for their limosines.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

Why do all these "gate" stories surface in the off-seasons? :rolleyes:

And I've just about had it with these "anonymous sources" :rolleyes:

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

Funny how all these disgruntled employees come out the wood works and yet the Saints are still capable of landing free agents and coaches so New Orleans can't be that bad of a place to work, hey NFL and gov't go away

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

F*ck this sh*t. I'm so tired of the Saints being punished for doing what EVERYONE ELSE is doing. It's bullsh*t.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

We've known about this for a long time. Not much to say really... Vitt was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. There's no-one else to blame but him for doing it.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

that's not disputed. The TIMING of it should however be scrutinized.

And we thought Roger was done.....

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

This is old news. Tatum run out of things to write about?

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

I fully expect Kommisar Goodell to take full advantage of this and hammer the Saints again.

Vitt can expect a year long suspension; I wouldn't be surprised if he suspends Payton again.

Say goodbye to some of next year's draft picks as well!

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

They also said the NFL could impose its own penalties in addition to the Feds. Apparantly we really pissed someone off. This crap is getting old. They said the Feds will only oppose fines for mishandling of a controlled substance, but Goodell is going to have a field day with this.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

Statute of Limitations?

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

Oh, come one!

Can't we have one offseason without all this drama?!

...anyway, I thought this thing had already been settled.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

If it was settled in arbitration it should be done with. Sounds like double charges to me. Guy was probably mad he wasn't getting anymore meds. At anyrate who should care Joe screwed up but looks like he did what the courts told him to do. Wonder what would happen to me if I was caught stealing handfulls of narcotics ? I know jail time and I would lose my job but we all know influence and money shields those in America that have it. Just saying, so whatever happens I can't feel sorry for Vitt.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

No. The same "first time offender" probation would be available for you, as well.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

Not again!

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

for the love of god its freaking Vicodin to start off with.
got a tooth ache have a Vicodin
got a headache have a Vicodin
this is stupid and i am sure corrective messages have been taken already.

how about the government look into themselves and all the Dr Feel Goods writing scripts to congress senate and the oval office over the years. that is the only explanation i have for some of the thing they have done.

Dude they must be stoned up on the hill again

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

Tell those government check, subsidized federal employees I said to kiss my (_!_).

Go arrest a phuck'n crackhead and make yourselves useful, gubmint check men.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

No, seriously. How do you really feel about this?

;)

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

so guido is a fan of lobbyists. got it.

you must be a republican.

Re: Federal authorities weighing possible fine against New Orleans Saints for Vicodin case
 

Guess this is somewhat a stupid thread. I am probably wrong about this as they say he without sin cast the first stone. Should not even be in the media. People will write about anything and stick their noses everywhere.