A California Police Union Director Charged With Importing Opioids Disguised As Chocolate, Wedding Favors And Makeup

Joanne Marian Segovia, the executive director of a California police union, currently faces federal charges for allegedly importing drugs from other countries and distributing them throughout the United States.  According to a criminal complaint, Segovia purchased numerous synthetic opioids disguised as chocolates, makeup, and wedding favors.  She reportedly used both her personal and office computers to place orders for opioids and dispatched the drugs through the union’s UPS account.

The United States Attorneys Office for Northern California stated, “The manifests for these shipments declared their contents with labels like ‘Wedding Party Favors,’ ‘Gift Makeup,’ or ‘Chocolate and Sweets.’ But between July 2019 and January 2023, officials intercepted and opened five of these shipments and found that they contained thousands of pills of controlled substances, including the synthetic opioids Tramadol and Tapentadol.”

Despite being questioned by federal agents in February 2023, Segovia reportedly continued to place orders for drug shipments, and one of the shipments was seized by federal agents in Kentucky earlier this month.  Furthermore, reports indicate that numerous drug shipments were sent to Segovia’s residence from countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore, with a total of 61 such shipments.

Segovia has served as the executive director of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association for almost two decades. She now faces federal charges and could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison.