21-year-old Devin Anthony Magarian of Kissimmee, Florida, is accused of commandeering the e-prescription credentials of doctors nationwide to distribute tens of thousands of electronic narcotic prescriptions. The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, spearheaded by District Attorney Anne Donnelly, announced the indictment, detailing the sophisticated operation that spanned multiple states.
Magarian, who was arrested outside a Great Neck pharmacy while allegedly attempting to collect a payment for a substantial order of Oxycodone, has been charged with first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, among other offenses. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. The arrest was carried out by Nassau County Police on January 17.
District Attorney Donnelly highlighted the intricate nature of Magarian’s operation, stating, “Devin Magarian is a central player in a wide-ranging drug operation to hijack the e-prescribing credentials of doctors across the United States and use those fraudulently obtained accounts to issue and fill tens of thousands of prescriptions for dangerous narcotics including Oxycodone.” Magarian’s nationwide drug operation used digital means to take advantage of, and perpetuate, the opioid crisis.
Magarian allegedly led a group that hacked into doctors’ e-prescribing systems, creating and filling prescriptions for narcotics like Oxycodone, Promethazine, and Codeine. Utilizing the messaging app Telegram, Magarian informed customers of available prescriptions, which were then picked up by associates or “runners” at various pharmacies.
The investigation into Magarian’s operation involved extensive collaboration between local and federal law enforcement agencies. DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino remarked on the case’s significance, “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,” Tarentino stated.
Magarian’s case is as a critical example of the challenges and complexities facing law enforcement in the digital age. The innovative use of technology to facilitate illegal drug distribution poses new hurdles for authorities, but as this case demonstrates, collaborative efforts can lead to significant disruptions in these criminal networks. With Magarian’s next court appearance scheduled for April 23, the ongoing investigation continues to unravel the depths of this digital drug trafficking operation.
