Unemployed couple receiving public assistance accused of selling pills out of their Racine home

RACINE COUNTY -- A husband and wife are facing more than a dozen charges each after officials with the Racine County Sheriff's Office's Metro Drug Unit executed a search warrant at their Racine home on Friday, February 17th. Officials said there were children at the home, who were removed and placed into temporary protective custody.

The search warrant was executed around 7:30 a.m. at the home on Cleveland Avenue near Kinzie Avenue in conjunction with an ongoing investigation into the illegal sale of prescription medications. Caledonia police, K-9 officers, and the Milwaukee DEA "Tactical Diversion Squad" assisted.

Recovered from the home were more than 1,500 tablets of oxycodone, hydrochloride, oxycodone, oxymorphone and hydrocodone tablets. Other non-narcotic pills and $1,600 in cash were seized as well.

Each pill recovered can have an estimated street sale value of a dollar per milligram, Racine County Sheriff's officials said.

Officials said the husband and wife now facing charges were unemployed, and receiving public assistance benefits while they were selling prescription medications and making thousands of dollars illegally.

Ami Alvarado-Archambeau, Jose Alvarado-Vargas

40-year-old Ami Alvarado-Archambeau faces the following 15 charges -- 13 of them felonies:

Her husband, 36-year-old Jose Alvarado-Vargas faces the following 14 charges -- 12 of them felonies:

According to a criminal complaint, in January officers with the Racine County Sheriff's Office's Metro Drug Unit made a controlled by from Ami Alvarado-Archambeau using a confidential informant. They were able to purchase 17 80mg oxycontin pills. The transaction took place within 1,000 feet of Fratt Elementary School.

In February, another buy was completed. The complaint says Jose Alvarado-Vargas met the confidential informant, and brought along his two children, ages six and four. The informant was able to get 36 80mg oxycontin pills. This transaction also took place within 1,000 feet of Fratt Elementary School.

Six days later, the search warrant was executed at the couple's home.

Ami Alvarado-Archambeau

Investigators learned Ami Alvarado-Archambeau and Jose Alvarado-Vargas lived at the home with four children -- ages 14, nine, six and four.

The complaint says Ami Alvarado-Archambeau told investigators "all of the oxycontin and/or pills were mainly in the game room." She said investigators would find marijuana and drug paraphernalia in her bedroom. She admitted that she and Jose Alvarado-Vargas had been selling Jose's 80mg oxycontin and 30mg oxycontin "for extra money."

Ami Alvarado-Archambeau said her husband had to have back surgery in 2008 or 2010 after suffering an injury. He was prescribed 240 80mg oxycontin pills and 240 30mg oxycontin pills per month. She said while living in Wisconsin, Jose would take all medications as prescribed. They moved to North Carolina, and lived there until 2016, she said. There, Jose's symptoms decreased, but he was still prescribed the 240 80mg oxycontin pills and 240 30mg oxycontin pills per month. Ami Alvarado-Archambeau said her husband "began to stockpile and save pills," according to the complaint.

Jose Alvarado-Vargas

Prosecutors say Ami Alvarado-Archambeau told investigators she makes $500 per week caring for her husband, and her husband earns $934 from SSI. They receive $99 per child per month for the four children at the home.

The complaint says a "large quantity" of pills were found in a game room and master bedroom of the home:

Marijuana and drug paraphernalia were also found:

The complaint says many of these drugs were found to be "easily accessible by any of the children who were inside the home."

Ami Alvarado-Archambeau made her initial appearance in court in this case on February 20th. A preliminary hearing was set for March 1st.

Jose Alvarado-Vargas made his initial appearance in court in this case on February 21st. A preliminary hearing was set for March 1st. Cash bond was set at $10,000.