A 21-year-old from Florida was indicted on charges related to the illegal sale of controlled substances and the criminal diversion of prescription medications.
Devin Anthony Magarian, of Kissimmee, is accused of exploiting the e-prescribing privileges of various doctors to distribute thousands of narcotic prescriptions.
During his arraignment before Judge Robert A. Schwartz, Magarian faced multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree (a Class A-I felony), two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a Class B felony), Criminal Diversion of Prescription Medication and Prescriptions in the Second Degree (a Class D felony) and 15 counts of Criminal Diversion of Prescription Medication and Prescriptions in the Fourth Degree (a Class A misdemeanor).
Magarian was allegedly involved in a complex drug distribution network, utilizing fraudulently accessed doctor accounts to prescribe and circulate substantial quantities of narcotics, notably oxycodone and promethazine with codeine. This operation spanned several states, with prescriptions filled under fictitious names at various pharmacies. He also executed direct transactions with customers through a Telegram mobile app channel dubbed as a “portal” for ordering prescriptions.
As part of the scheme, Magarian’s associates (or “runners”) picked up prescriptions at pharmacies in multiple states. The prescriptions were typically issued in fictitious names and sent to both chain and mom-and-pop pharmacies.
On January 17, 2024, he was arrested in New York City while collecting payment for a significant quantity of oxycodone prescriptions. in February 2023 an unnamed defendant was arrested outside a Great Neck pharmacy after picking up two prescriptions that were not in his name. After an extensive investigation, it was determined that the unnamed defendant was in contact with Magarian.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s office worked with the Nassau County Police Department, the DEA New York Division, the DEA Orlando District Office – Tactical Diversion Squad, the New York State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, and the Orange County and Osceola County Sheriffs’ Office in Florida during this investigation, which is still ongoing.
“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,” said Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly. “Our investigation into this alleged criminal conspiracy continues. We thank our partners in local and federal law enforcement as we pursue the case against this defendant and attempt to unravel this operation.”
Magarian’s next court appearance is on April 23, 2024. If convicted, he could face 20 years in prison.