Largest pharmacy burglary ring in DEA history ends with 42 indicted in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Officials said Thursday a multi-state pharmacy burglary ring investigation has led to 42 people being indicted in Little Rock.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Jonathan Ross said the 42 were involved in a ring that operated “from coast to coast” in burglarizing narcotics with a $12 million street value from rural pharmacies. Ross said the group stole from 200 pharmacies in 31 states, 20 of which were in Arkansas.

Ross said that the 42 indictments announced on Thursday include the indictments of 18 in December in phase one of the investigation. The investigation was titled “#richoffmeds,” using a hashtag the group from Houston’s fifth ward shared.

During the arrests, Ross said 11 firearms were seized, along with $79,000 in cash and $510,000 in custom jewelry.

Ross said the group worked by using the internet to scout independent rural pharmacies. Then, they would travel to them, breaking in through the pharmacies’ window glass at night and low-crawling on the floor to avoid motion detectors.

The group targeted narcotics for theft including oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, Xanax, Adderall, and cough syrup with codeine, Ross said.

Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer said the indictments resulted from the largest pharmacy burglary case in DEA history.