Current:Home > StocksFederal authorities announce additional arrests in multistate pharmacy burglary ring-LoTradeCoin
Federal authorities announce additional arrests in multistate pharmacy burglary ring
View Date:2024-12-24 07:04:15
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Additional arrests have been made in a multistate pharmacy burglary ring that has led to 42 people being indicted in Arkansas, federal authorities announced Thursday.
Federal prosecutors said 24 people were arrested in Houston in July, and some appeared in federal court in Little Rock on Thursday on conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute charges. The charges were part of a new indictment that began with 18 people from the Houston area being charged in November.
The Drug Enforcement Administration said the defendants were linked to 200 pharmacy burglaries in 31 states, including Arkansas. The stolen drugs included oxycodone and hydrocodone and were transported to Houston, where they were sold illegally.
“These defendants were part of a criminal organization whose objective was to break into pharmacies nationwide to steal narcotics that they peddled on the streets,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
The investigation began when the DEA identified more than 20 pharmacy burglaries between February 2022 and November 2023. Investigators identified the drug trafficking organization behind the burglaries as comprised of documented local gang members from Houston’s 5th Ward area.
Prosecutors said the indictment is similar to 2016 case in which 24 members of a Houston gang were prosecuted for multistate pharmacy burglaries and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
“This criminal organization prioritized money and greed over the safety and well-being of the American people,” said Steven Hofer, DEA’s special agent in charge for the New Orleans Division. “Their goal was to sell stolen pharmaceuticals in our neighborhoods for easy money.”
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Mike Tyson concedes the role of villain to young foe in 58-year-old’s fight with Jake Paul
- US, Japan and Australia plan joint navy drills in disputed South China Sea, Philippine officials say
- Man convicted of hit-and-run that killed Ohio firefighter sentenced to 16 years to life in prison
- Drug dealer sentenced to 10 years in prison in overdose death of actor Michael K. Williams
- Why California takes weeks to count votes, while states like Florida are faster
- Courting fireflies are one of the joys of summer. Light pollution is killing their vibe.
- As college football season arrives, schools pay monitors to stop players and staff from gambling
- What is dengue fever? What to know as virus cases are confirmed in Florida
- She was found dead while hitchhiking in 1974. An arrest has finally been made.
- Grand jury decides against charges in police shooting of NJ backhoe driver who damaged homes, cars
Ranking
- Man accused of killing American tourist in Budapest, putting her body in suitcase: Police
- Buccaneers QB John Wolford taken to hospital after suffering neck injury vs. Jets
- 1 killed, thousands under evacuation orders as wildfires tear through Washington state
- 'Wait Wait' for August 19, 2023: 25th Anniversary Spectacular, Part VI!
- US Diplomats Notch a Win on Climate Super Pollutants With Help From the Private Sector
- Ecuadorians are choosing a new president amid increasing violence that may scare away voters
- Ron Cephas Jones Dead at 66: This Is Us Cast Pays Tribute to Late Costar
- From turmoil to triumph, Spain clinches its first Women’s World Cup title with a win over England
Recommendation
-
What is ‘Doge’? Explaining the meme and cryptocurrency after Elon Musk's appointment to D.O.G.E.
-
Princess Charlotte and Prince William Cheer on Women's Soccer Team Before World Cup Final
-
Record setting temperatures forecast in Dallas as scorching heat wave continues to bake the U.S.
-
England vs. Spain: Time, odds, how to watch and live stream 2023 World Cup final
-
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are expecting their first child together
-
House fire kills 2 children in North Carolina, and a third is critically injured
-
Chad Michael Murray and Wife Sarah Roemer Welcome Baby No. 3
-
Jack Antonoff Marries Margaret Qualley With Taylor Swift and Other Stars in Attendance