Hooked on a High: America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Problem

Craig Rivera recently investigated prescription drug abuse among teens and adults.

For a “Crimetime in Primetime” segment of “Craig Investigates” appearing on the January 7, 2013 episode of “Geraldo at Large,” Craig Rivera addressed America’s prescription drug abuse problem after the owner of the LA Clippers’ son was found dead of an apparent drug overdose.

The segment began with Craig Rivera interviewing three teens who described their addiction to a number of drugs such as heroin, Percocet, and the most common, oxycontin. The latter opiate is a popular painkiller that can be snorted or injected for a more intense high and is the drug of choice for many teens across the United States. Today, prescription drug abuse contributes to 20,000 overdose deaths and is the main reason for the increase in drug related crimes.

Craig Rivera addressed the horrifying story of David Lather, who robbed a Long Island pharmacy of 11,000 hydrocodone pills. In his desperation, he shot and killed four victims. New Jersey’s Essex County Sheriff Armondo Fontura claims that crimes around pharmacies are turning into a very common, yet very serious problem.

Drug manufacturers have changed the formula of oxycontin pills in order to make them harder to abuse. Unfortunately, this merely caused addicts to turn to heroin, which is cheaper and easier to obtain.  The heroin epidemic is so extreme that special task forces have been established to address the issue.

Brian Gamrello works in a rehabilitation facility where he treats addicted teens.  He claims opiates, such as oxycontin, are the gateway to full blown heroin addictions. Teen interviewees agree, claiming that most of their friends who are addicted to heroin started with pills.  Furthermore, they claimed that heroin abuse is so common in their school that it has been nicknamed ‘Heroin High.’

Craig Rivera finishes the segment by stating that dependence on painkillers is not limited to teens.  He addresses soccer moms, doctors, and even police officers who suffer from this addiction as well.

Hooked on a High: America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Problem from Craig Rivera on Vimeo.

View more “Craig Investigates” segments by following Craig Rivera’s blog on Tumblr, http://craigrivera.tumblr.com/, or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Costa Mesa Gun Show

For the 1/27/2013 episode of “Geraldo At Large”, Craig Rivera visited the Costa Mesa Gun Show.

On the January 27, 2013 episode of Fox News Channel’s, “Geraldo at Large,” Craig Rivera presented a “Crimetime in Primetime” segment on the Costa Mesa Gun Show.

With the possibility of stricter Fed Laws looming, there was record attendance at a gun show in Costa Mesa, California. 20,000 people attended the show, seeing it as a final opportunity to prepare for the worst.

Craig Rivera addressed how President Obama has avoided the topic for the entire first term of his presidency, but his post-Newtown massacre campaign for stricter gun control is now gaining momentum. Celebrities have joined the campaign, attempting to fight the gun lobby. Interviewee Kenny Mills, however, cannot be convinced that gun control makes America safer, and argues that it is a violation of the second amendment.

Craig Rivera interviewed Christine Ristivo, who has been attending gun shows with her family since age 5.  As a mother, she was sympathetic to the actions that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary, agrees that mental health and background checks are necessary, and approves of getting rid of loopholes that exist at gun shows. Craig Rivera expands on the gun show loophole by explaining that only 6 states require background checks for those buying and selling guns.  11 states have some regulations, but 33 states have no regulations whatsoever.  At gun shows within those 33 states, anyone can post “Private Sale” over their booth. As a private party who claims not to sell guns as a business, no background check is necessary for either party.

Craig Rivera spoke with ‘Crossroads of the West’ owner Bob Templeton, who claims the American people feel scapegoated for the acts of one psychopathic killer. He states that he, as well as a lot of other gun owners in American, feel that the government is chipping away at their rights and eventually will totally deprive Americans of our lawful ownership of firearms.

Exclusive Look Inside the Costa Mesa Gun Show from Craig Rivera on Vimeo.

 

To view more “Craig Investigates” segments, follow Craig’s blog on Tumblr, or visit FoxNews.com: http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/geraldo/index.html

Christian Mingle Rape Controversy

For a “Crimetime in Primetime” segment of “Craig Investigates” appearing on the March 18, 2013 episode of “Geraldo at Large”, Craig Rivera discussed the rape controversy surrounding online dating website ChristianMingle.com.

Craig Rivera begins the segment by noting that 37-year old Sean Banks is accused of using the website to target a rape victim in San Diego. Other victims have since come forward to share their story with investigators. He speaks with Victoria Kenney, a former Miss Irvine in the Miss California beauty pageant, who says she ignored her instincts and trusted Banks because she trusted Christian Mingle.

She explains that she wanted to maintain their relationship through the website, but Banks was able to hack her phone and track her down. Eventually, she received a phone call from Banks in which he said he had been arrested for rape, denied his guilt, and then told her not to speak to investigators. Craig Rivera then spoke with Kenney’s attorney, Dan Gilleon, who said after Banks date raped his victim, she sent him a text after the incident and he told her to call his lawyer.

Banks faces charges of rape, rape by intoxication, burglary, and trying to dissuade a witness. As Gilleon explains, the judge felt that Banks’ attempts to intimidate Kenney proved he has no understanding how serious the investigation is.

Next, Craig Rivera speaks with Gretchen von Helms, the attorney representing Banks. She explains that some women who regret their actions accuse their sexual partners of raping them. She also notes that such allegations are easy to make and difficult to remove once they have been made.

Kinney recognizes that her evidence is helping the case against Banks and urges other victims to come forward. Craig Rivera ends the segment by noting that online dating is now the third most popular way to find a dating partner, but he recommends that individuals meet their dates in a public place first and get to know who they really are before putting themselves in a vulnerable position.

View the full segment here:

Christian Mingle Rape Controversy from Craig Rivera on Vimeo.

---

View more Craig Investigates segments by liking Craig Rivera on Facebook. You can also learn more about Craig Rivera on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/craigrivera

Diving with Sharks

Craig Rivera had a chance to try feeding some hungry sharks during a segment on “Geraldo at Large”.

As Shark Week 2010 got underway on the Discovery Channel, Geraldo Rivera invited Shark Week host Terry Schappert to the September 2nd episode to discuss shark attack survival tips. Investigative reporter Craig Rivera, who completed a “Getting Out Alive” segment for Inside Edition about surviving a shark attack, also joined the discussion. He began the segment from a boat in the middle of the ocean where he had the opportunity to dive with sharks.

While standing on a boat with sharks circling, Craig Rivera starts by introducing the shark adventures tourism industry. He explains that many believe such diving tours increase the likelihood of shark attacks by getting sharks to feel comfortable around people, then counters by noting that dying from a bee sting is statistically more likely than dying from a shark attack.

Craig Rivera then dives into the water and is surrounded by hungry sharks. Divers from Stewart Cove’s Shark Diving Adventures feed the sharks by placing bait at the end of a stick and taking care not to put their hands in between sharks and the bait. Back on the boat, Craig Rivera interviews the shark feeders and asks if the company has seen any attacks. One feeder says that feeders have been nicked but there have been no major incidents. She also points out that her profession helps sharks around the world by helping people appreciate sharks and reducing indiscriminate killing or finning.

Craig Rivera returns to the water to try feeding the sharks but commits a rookie mistake. Divers warn him not to move the baited stick around “like a sword”, as it has caused the sharks to swarm all over him. Some of the sharks bump or nudge him but he returns to the boat with all of his fingers, happy to not have been mistaken for food.

View the full segment below:

Craig Rivera Dives With Sharks from Craig Rivera on Vimeo.

View videos of his other segments on Vimeo, http://vimeo.com/craigrivera, or by following his blog on Tumblr.

Did a Cover-up Take Place Following TWA Flight 800 Explosion?

TWA Flight 800 was partially re-constructed during a four-year investigation into the cause of its deadly explosion.

During the June 23, 2013 episode of “Geraldo at Large”, Craig Rivera completed a new “Craig Investigates” segment into a new documentary about the investigation into doomed TWA Flight 800. The documentary creator, Tom Stalcup, did not buy into the results of the government’s investigation and believes a cover-up might have taken place.

TWA Flight 800 exploded mid-air on July 17, 1996, while en route to Paris, killing all who were onboard. The National Transportation Safety Board and FBI conducted a four-year investigation into the incident, reconstructing the plane from the wreckage before determining that a wiring short-circuit sparked an explosion in the near-empty fuel tank. Despite the results of this investigation, many witnesses are convinced the plane was shot down. Craig Rivera interviewed former National Guard pilot Fred Mayer, who saw pieces from the crash that he thought resembled the missiles he had seen while serving in Vietnam.

Tom Stalcup, a physics Ph.D. student at the time, was unconvinced by the government’s investigation. He spent 17 years interviewing whistleblowers and witnesses to produce a documentary that claims government investigators lied. Craig Rivera interviewed Tom Stalcup, who says his main goal is for the investigation to be re-opened and conducted by independent investigators so that witnesses are given a chance to testify. While the documentary has already come under fire from critics such as former FBI Chief Investigator James Kallstrom, Tom Stalcup believes his interviews with Fred Mayer and other high-level former government officials gives his documentary credibility.

As Craig Rivera then explains, the CIA was involved in the initial investigation as one hypothesis blamed terrorists for the attacks. They produced an animated simulation that concluded the missile eyewitnesses said they saw was actually a trail of burning fuel that came from the aircraft following the initial explosion. Tom Stalcup rebukes this theory, noting that the radars indicate a high velocity explosion occurred outside the plane and triggered a secondary explosion in the fuel tanks.

You can view the segment below:

Was Crash of TWA Flight 800 Really An Accident? from Craig Rivera on Vimeo.

To view other “Craig Investigates” segments, follow Craig on Twitter or “like” Craig Rivera on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FNCraigRivera

Exclusive Interview with Michael Jackson’s Former Doctor

Dr. Arnold Klein spoke with Craig Rivera about the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial.

During a “Craig Investigates” segment that aired on the 9/27/2013 episode of “Geraldo at Large”, Craig Rivera conducted an exclusive interview with Dr. Arnold Klein, Michael Jackson’s former doctor.

At the time, jurors were deliberating in a civil trial to determine whether an incompetent doctor or concert promoters were ultimately responsible for the pop star’s death. Dr. Klein is no stranger to the controversy, having himself been accused of providing Jackson with dangerous painkillers.  He denies these claims, noting that Jackson began taking these painkillers years earlier following a series of plastic surgeries. The coroner then went on to identify a sedative called Propofol as ultimately being to blame for the musician’s death.

Dr. Klein calls Dr. Jackson’s last physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, incompetent for continuing to prescribe Propofol to Jackson. He remembers speaking with Jackson one month before his death and it was clear to him that Jackson was not himself and seemed overmedicated.

The Jackson family does not dispute Michael’s addiction, but believes the doctor enabled it due to a conflict of interest. The debt-ridden doctor received $150,000 per month from tour company AEG to serve as the star’s doctor, leading Dr. Klein to speculate that Dr. Murray was a fall guy. He explains that tour company AEG had a clause in Jackson’s contract leaving the star on the hook for all financial losses if he was unable to go on tour.

AEG points out that Michael’s father, Joe, first introduced the doctor to his son. Dr. Klein remembers receiving a voicemail from Jackson before his death in which he was looking for a new anesthesiologist. He adds that Dr. Murray was not licensed in England so he could not have taken care of Jackson on the tour.

View the full interview below:

Who is responsible for Michael Jackson’s death? from Craig Rivera on Vimeo.

You can also view other “Craig Investigates” segments on his Vimeo, or by browsing the segments he has pinned on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/craigrivera/

Binge Drinking to Blame for College Campus Rapes?

In a “Craig Investigates” segment for the 10/27/2013 episode of Geraldo at Large, Craig Rivera discussed rampant binge drinking on college campuses and recent incidences of rape that generated little sympathy.

Craig Rivera began his report by speaking with Daisy Coleman, the Maryville, Missouri girl who was a victim of rape at age 14. As her mother explains, the case was later dropped after it was revealed that Coleman and her friend were under the influence of alcohol. Prosecutors claimed this would make the case too difficult to prosecute.

Next, Craig Rivera detailed a 2012 incident in Steubenville, Ohio when members of the high school football team carried an intoxicated 16 year old girl from party to party. She is raped repeatedly, and the actions are broadcast for peers to see on social media.

Craig Rivera speaks with Koren Zailckas, a rape victim and author who now travels to college campuses and military bases to explain to kids that sexual assault can often follow binge drinking. Zailckas explains that half of all eighth graders have tried alcohol.

Craig Rivera then traveled to the University of Connecticut (UConn) to discuss the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses. Recently, seven assault victims who attended UConn came forward to discuss their experiences and some of them were intoxicated at the time. One victim was surprised to see her assaulter back on campus and after the University failed to carry out justice, she hired celebrity attorney Gloria Allred.

Back in Maryville, Craig Rivera shares that prosecutors are filing new charges related to Coleman’s sexual assault case. Craig Rivera ends the segment by emphasizing that there is still work to be done, as 20% of female UConn students will be molested by their senior year, with alcohol typically being involved.

Watch the full segment below:

Rape on College Campuses: Is Binge Drinking to Blame? from Craig Rivera on Vimeo.

---

Learn more about Craig Rivera on Fox News, or find out when he releases new segments by following him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxnewscraig