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Twenty-one-year-old Devin Anthony Magarian, from Kissimmee, Florida, was arraigned on charges that include criminal diversion of prescription medication and prescription, the Nassau County District Attorney announced.
According to the DA’s Office, Magarian is said to be a leader of a multi-state conspiracy that hacked doctors’ credentials to gain access to an e-prescribing system.
Once in the system, Magarian would submit fake narcotics prescriptions, including oxycodone, promethazine, and codeine. He alerted his customers when these batches were sent in via the Telegram app, letting them place their orders.
Runners would then travel to pharmacies, including some in Nassau County, to pick up the drugs.
Magarian allegedly issued tens of thousands of fake scripts to both chain pharmacies and mom-and-pop shops.
“This is one the most complex and technologically sophisticated drug operations we’ve ever witnessed,” said DA Anne T. Donnelly.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino added, “This investigation was a case of modern-day piracy; criminals stealing digital prescription pads to divert medication that put hundreds of thousands of people at risk…This case is a prime example that drug traffickers will stop at nothing in order to make a profit.”
In February 2023, one of Magarian’s alleged runners (who has not been named) was arrested outside of a Great Neck pharmacy, where he had picked up two prescriptions not in his name. An investigation uncovered his connection with Magarian, officials said.
It wasn’t until Wednesday, January 17, 2024, when Magarian was found and arrested in New York City, where he had traveled to pick up a payment of around $14,000 from a person who was picking up oxycodone prescriptions.
The payment was reportedly for a total of seven 30-milligram prescriptions of Oxycodone; each prescription contained 90 pills for a total of 630 oxy tablets.
Magarian was charged with:
- Criminal sale of a controlled substance, three counts; and
- Criminal diversion of prescription medication and prescription, 16 counts of varying degrees.
He is scheduled to reappear in court on Monday, Feb. 5. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
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