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Valley Stream resident James Cosentino, 27, was arrested and arraigned on Friday, Nov. 13 on charges alleging that he illegally used the prescription pad to obtain thousands of oxycodone and morphine pills over a nine-month stretch.
Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said that Cosentino allegedly acquired a prescription pad from a former doctor.
From December last year through September, Cosentino allegedly went to a Nassau County-based pharmacy in person on multiple occasions and presented forged prescriptions for oxycodone and morphine in various amounts and doses.
Singas noted that the prescriptions were for Cosentino himself and that on at least one occasion, he allegedly placed a call to the same pharmacy alleging to be his former doctor.
In total, Cosentino received 11,580 oxycodone pills and 2,820 morphine pills during the nine-months.
“This is a great example of medical practitioners helping law enforcement stop the diversion of prescription pain medication,” DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan said. “By alerting us of the forged prescriptions, we were able to fully investigate and stop the defendant in his tracks, hopefully saving himself and others in the process.”
Singas said the investigation into Cosentino’s case is ongoing.
“The defendant allegedly used forged prescriptions to acquire more than 13,000 opioid pills in just nine months,” Singas said. “The opioid epidemic is impacting every corner of the United States and the crisis has only grown more acute during the coronavirus public health emergency.”
Cosentino was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, and 10 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument. Cosentino was sent to pre-trial services and scheduled to appear back in court on Friday, Nov. 20.
If convicted, Cosentino faces up to nine years in prison.
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