San Jose Police Union Executive Director charged with importing fentanyl for seven years

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KION-TV)- The Office of the United States Attorney said they filed a federal criminal complaint against the San Jose Police Union Executive Director for importing fentanyl analogue for more than seven years.

 Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, is alleged of, between October 2015 and January 2023, having 61 shipments mailed to her home from countries including Hing Kong, Hungary, India and Singapore. The complaint alleges that Segovia used her personal and office computers to order thousands of opioids and other pills to her home and agreed to send the drugs elsewhere in the United States.

Segovia was apprehended as part of the ongoing investigation by Homeland Security.

The manifests for these shipments said they were labeled as “Wedding Party Favors,” “Gift Makeup,” or “Chocolate and Sweets.” Between July 2019 and January 2023, officials intercepted and opened five of these shipments and found thousand of pills of controlled substances, which included synthetic opioids Tramadol and Tapentadol.

The complaint alleged that some of these containers were worth thousands of dollars worth of drugs.

The complaint alleges Segovia used the encrypted communications app, WhatsApp, to arrange shipments with someone from a phone that used an India country code. 

Segovia is alleged to have used her office at the police union as a means to distribute the substances. 

The complaint alleges she continued to order controlled substances even after being interviewed by federal officials in February 2023.

The police officers union in a statement said no one at the union had prior knowledge of Segovia's alleged acts. 

"The Board of Directors is saddened and disappointed at hearing this news and we have pledged to provide our full support to the investigative authorities," Tom Saggau, an San Jose Police Officers Association spokesperson said. 

Segovia is supposed to appear in U.S. District Court in San Jose before Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi on Friday.