(Merrilee Gasser, The Center Square) – Over 40 people accused of running the largest pharmacy burglary stole approximately $12 million worth of controlled substances, according to an indictment.
The bust is the largest in the history of the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas said Thursday the group of 42 people worked together to burglarize over 200 pharmacies across 31 states. More than 11 of the affected pharmacies were located in Arkansas, according to Ross.
Ross said the group, based in Houston, Texas, targeted independent, non-chain pharmacies in rural locations and would drive rental cars or take flights to get there. Their pattern would be to go to their selected target locations in the early morning, break the glass and crawl on the floor to avoid motion detectors.
Stolen medications included opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone, along with other prescription drugs like Xanax, Adderall and promethazine, Ross said.
“As a result, hundreds of thousands of pills and gallons of promethazine cough syrup were returned and distributed on the streets of Texas,” said Ross.
The street value of the stolen medications is approximately $12 million, according to federal officials.
“As we know, the opioid epidemic is still with us: 107,543 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023, of which 81,083 were due to opioids,” Ross said. “Theft and illegal distribution of prescription opioid and other scheduled medications fuels the addiction and overdose crisis throughout the United States and theft and illegal distribution of prescription opioid and other scheduled medications result in millions of dollars in proceeds to pro-criminal organizations perpetuating dangerous criminal activity.”
Previously, Ross’s office announced Phase 1 of Operation #RichoffMeds in December. At that point, 18 suspected members of the crime ring had been indicted for burglaries that took place in Arkansas.
This week’s announcement comes after a superseding indictment was returned by an Arkansas grand jury, which charged 24 additional people in the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for acts that occurred nationwide, Ross said.
Law enforcement seized 11 firearms, around $79,000 in U.S. currency, and custom jewelry retailing at about $510,000 in Houston, which Ross said were proceeds from the sale of pharmaceutical drugs.
Most of the defendants appeared in a court in Little Rock Thursday afternoon. The remaining defendants will be in court in September.
“An investigation and indictment of this kind represents the best results of cooperation and collaboration by law enforcement personnel and prosecutors working within the appropriate oversight from the judicial branch,” said Ross.
