US attorneys say 18 people broke into pharmacies across Arkansas
PHARMACIES THAT WERE TARGETED AND HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HELPED INVESTIGATORS. WE’VE LEARNED THAT PHARMACIES IN ALMA AND IN BERRYVILLE, IN CARROLL COUNTY, WERE TARGETED. THE U.S. attorney FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS SAYS THE PEOPLE ARRESTED POSTED PICTURES OF LAVISH JEWELRY WITH THE HASHTAG ‘RICH-OFF- MEDS’ TO SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH MADE IT EASIER FOR POLICE TO FIND THEM. <> “for most of us as pharmacists, our worst nightmare is to see pill bottles like this that should be protected in the pharmacy and dispensed from legitimate prescriptions to our patients roaming out on the streets where they can harm our friends, our family and our children.” ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL INDICTMENT, 18 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND ARE FACING FEDERAL DRUG CONSPIRACY, MONEY LAUNDERING AND PHARMACY BURGLARY CHARGES, INVOLVING 20 PHARMACIES ACROSS ARKANSAS. COLEMAN PHARMACY IN ALMA WAS ONE TARGET. IT HAPPENED ON EASTER, 2022, WHEN SOMEONE SMASHED THE GLASS ON THE DRIVE THROUGH WINDOW, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO GET INSIDE. JONATHAN ROSS IS THE UNITED STATES attorney FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS. HE SAYS MORE THAN 96- THOUSAND PILLS OF OPIOID MEDICATIONS WERE STOLEN FROM 13 PHARMACIES, FROM FEBRUARY 2022 TO NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, TOTALING MORE THAN $1.5 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PRESCRIPTION NARCOTICS. <> “they traveled by rental car from Texas to Arkansas, where the early morning hours they would shatter the glass at pharmacy locations, then low crawl on the floor to evade motion detectors and systematically remove dangerous opioid benzodiazepine, and other scheduled medications from pharmacy shelves.” ROSS SAYS THE PEOPLE ARRESTED ARE HOUSTON 5TH WARD GANG MEMBERS AND DEA AGENTS SAY THEY SEIZED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF JEWELRY IN OPERATION ‘RICH-OFF- MEDS. <> “For 72 hours straight, numerous local, state and federal law enforcement were in Houston, Texas and effectuated the apprehension of all 18 defendants who were involved in this criminal enterprise, resulting in the seizure of three handguns and three high powered rifles $79,000 in illicit US currency and approximately $330,000 worth of custom made jewelry.” THE US attorney SAID A PHARMACY IN GREENWOOD WAS ALSO TARGETED, BUT WE’VE LEARNED IT WAS ACTUALLY IN GLENWOOD, IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE. DEA SPECIAL AGENTS SAY THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING AND MORE
US attorneys say 18 people broke into pharmacies across Arkansas
Updated: 6:53 PM CST Dec 13, 2023
Eighteen people have been arrested, accused of breaking into pharmacies across Arkansas, according to Jonathan D. Ross, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.”They traveled by rental car from Texas to Arkansas, where, during the early morning hours, they would shatter the glass at pharmacy locations. Then low-crawl on the floor to evade motion detectors and systematically remove dangerous opioid benzodiazepine and other scheduled medications from pharmacy shelves,” Ross said.Twenty pharmacies were targeted, including a Berryville pharmacy in Carroll County and Coleman Pharmacy in Alma.In April 2022, employees at Coleman Pharmacy reported that someone smashed the drive-thu window glass, but were unable to get inside the building.From February 2022 to November 2023, more than 96,000 tablets of prescription narcotics were stolen from 13 pharmacies, worth more than $1.5 million.”For most of us as pharmacists, our worst nightmare is to see pill bottles like this, that should be protected in the pharmacy and dispensed from legitimate prescriptions to our patients, roaming out on the streets where they can harm our friends, our family and our children,” said Arkansas Pharmacists Association president John Kirtley.In what was called “Operation #RichOffMeds,” the people arrested were members of an organized drug trafficking operation of gang members from the 5th Ward area in Houston, Texas, according to Ross.”Operation #RichOffMeds name comes from a social media tag that members of this group were using when they were posting (to social media) as they were proud of some of the jewelry that they obtained from the profits from activity,” he said.Special agents with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and police in Arkansas and Houston assisted with the ongoing investigation.”For 72 hours straight, numerous local, state and federal law enforcement were in Houston, TX, and effectuated the apprehension of all 18 defendants who were involved in this criminal enterprise, resulting in the seizure of three handguns and three high-powered rifles, $79,000 in illicit US currency and approximately $330,000 worth of custom made jewelry,” said Jarad Harper, with the DEA Little Rock field office.The suspects are facing federal drug conspiracy, money laundering and pharmacy burglary-related charges.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. —
Eighteen people have been arrested, accused of breaking into pharmacies across Arkansas, according to Jonathan D. Ross, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
“They traveled by rental car from Texas to Arkansas, where, during the early morning hours, they would shatter the glass at pharmacy locations. Then low-crawl on the floor to evade motion detectors and systematically remove dangerous opioid benzodiazepine and other scheduled medications from pharmacy shelves,” Ross said.
Twenty pharmacies were targeted, including a Berryville pharmacy in Carroll County and Coleman Pharmacy in Alma.
In April 2022, employees at Coleman Pharmacy reported that someone smashed the drive-thu window glass, but were unable to get inside the building.
From February 2022 to November 2023, more than 96,000 tablets of prescription narcotics were stolen from 13 pharmacies, worth more than $1.5 million.
“For most of us as pharmacists, our worst nightmare is to see pill bottles like this, that should be protected in the pharmacy and dispensed from legitimate prescriptions to our patients, roaming out on the streets where they can harm our friends, our family and our children,” said Arkansas Pharmacists Association president John Kirtley.
In what was called “Operation #RichOffMeds,” the people arrested were members of an organized drug trafficking operation of gang members from the 5th Ward area in Houston, Texas, according to Ross.
“Operation #RichOffMeds name comes from a social media tag that members of this group were using when they were posting (to social media) as they were proud of some of the jewelry that they obtained from the profits from activity,” he said.
Special agents with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and police in Arkansas and Houston assisted with the ongoing investigation.
“For 72 hours straight, numerous local, state and federal law enforcement were in Houston, TX, and effectuated the apprehension of all 18 defendants who were involved in this criminal enterprise, resulting in the seizure of three handguns and three high-powered rifles, $79,000 in illicit US currency and approximately $330,000 worth of custom made jewelry,” said Jarad Harper, with the DEA Little Rock field office.
The suspects are facing federal drug conspiracy, money laundering and pharmacy burglary-related charges.
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