A major crackdown on prescription drug abuse has resulted in nearly 100 people being arrested and charged in New York City and Long Island.
Doctors, nurse practitioners and drug peddlers who went doctor shopping for prescriptions are among those charged.
Investigators say one doctor who wrote prescriptions linked to the suspects in the Medford pharmacy massacre on Long Island last year is among those charged.
About 10 suspects on Staten Island were also arrested for allegedly going from doctor to doctor to get prescriptions so they could sell drugs like Oxycodone on the street, officials said.
In announcing the federal, state and local law enforcement initiative to combat the growing threat of prescription drug trafficking and abuse, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said the approach involves criminal investigation and prosecution but also the use of civil enforcement, regulatory action and community outreach.
The crackdown comes after last year’s Medford pharmacy shooting where four people were killed, as well as an attempted pharmacy heist in Harlem in April where a retired police lieutenant shot and killed an armed suspect.
Lynch said Wednesday that “the stakes could not be higher, as reflected by the murder of four people last June.”
{NBC NY/Matzav.com Newscenter}
its way late for this, but about time too.
this is another abused area of life which got WAY seriously out of control. it certainly has caused loss of lives, loss of quality of lives, and alot of abuse of funding as well. And those who are guilty also did not have any quality of life. They become rich low lives. I hope they do it really clean this up but good. theres more, I am waiting for more for them to clean up.