FedEx Responds to Federal Indictment
"FedEx is innocent of the charges brought today by the Department of Justice. We will plead not guilty. We will defend against this attack on the integrity and good name of FedEx and its employees," FedEx's senior vice president of marketing and communications, Patrick Fitzgerald, said in a statement issued after the Justice Department announced the indictment was returned by a San Francisco grand jury.
FedEx's senior vice president of marketing and communications, Patrick Fitzgerald, issued a statement defending the company after the Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury in San Francisco had indicted FedEx Corporation, FedEx Express, Inc., and FedEx Corporate Services, Inc., on July 17, charging the companies with conspiring to traffic in controlled substances and misbranded prescription drugs for its role in distributing controlled substances and prescription drugs for illegal Internet pharmacies. Fitzgerald's statement said FedEx will plead not guilty to the charges.
"FedEx is innocent of the charges brought today by the Department of Justice. We will plead not guilty. We will defend against this attack on the integrity and good name of FedEx and its employees," it states. "FedEx has a 42-year history of close cooperation with law enforcement agencies. We're proud to say that we have partnered with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, DEA, and other federal, state and local law enforcement teams around the world to help stop illegal drug activity and bring criminals to justice. These efforts include providing assistance to the DEA in combatting rogue internet pharmacies. We have repeatedly requested that the government provide us a list of online pharmacies engaging in illegal activity. Whenever DEA provides us a list of pharmacies engaging in illegal activity, we will turn off shipping for those companies immediately. So far the government has declined to provide such a list.
"FedEx transports more than 10 million packages a day. The privacy of our customers is essential to the core of our business. This privacy is now at risk, based on the charges by the Department of Justice related to the transportation of prescription medications. We want to be clear what's at stake here: the government is suggesting that FedEx assume criminal responsibility for the legality of the contents of the millions of packages that we pick up and deliver every day. We are a transportation company – we are not law enforcement. We have no interest in violating the privacy of our customers. We continue to stand ready and willing to support and assist law enforcement. We cannot, however, do the job of law enforcement ourselves."
U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Jay Fitzpatrick, and Food and Drug Administration Acting Director of the Office of Criminal Investigations Philip J. Walsky announced the indictment. According to DEA's news release, FedEx has been summoned to appear in federal court in San Francisco on July 29.