A brazen burglary ring was busted Wednesday for robbing more than 125 pharmacies across the city, stealing millions of dollars in cash and prescription drugs, federal authorities said Wednesday.
“This group of defendants went to extreme lengths to break into pharmacies across New York City in order to feed their voracious appetite for cash and prescription drugs to peddle,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan.
Bharara blamed the burglars for helping “contribute to the growing prescription drug abuse epidemic” with a sophisticated, complex scheme that relied on technology and physical surveillance.
According to authorities, the alleged thieves targeted various drug stores, breaking in through ceilings, walls, window bars, and doors.
In some instances, the pharmacies were in locations that provided cover for the crooks while they penetrated the exteriors of the stores with crowbars, axes, and other tools.
In others cases, the pharmacies were next to commercial establishments where the burglars broke in, and then used tools to enter the pharmacies through common walls.
The thieves wore dark clothing, including hooded sweatshirts, masks, and gloves, and employed sophisticated planning and counter-surveillance techniques to keep from getting caught.
They frequently circumvented or disabled burglar alarms and surveillance cameras, officials said. They also used lookouts with cell phones, and monitored police scanners, and escaped with the stolen goods and cash before cops arrived.
They often celebrated their windfalls by buying luxury vehicles – including Mercedes-Benzes and a Bentley — that were bought with profits from their drug sales.
The thefts go back to 2010.
“This band of thieves thought they could outsmart law enforcement,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos.
“Using traditional investigative techniques and the defendants’ own technology against them, the FBI and its law enforcement partners put an end to their alleged criminal enterprise.”
Additional reporting by Kirstan Conley and Rich Calder.
Yahoo Local News – New York Post
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