Florida man allegedly hacked prescription system, sold $14,500 of oxycodone to undercover agent on Long Island
MINEOLA, N.Y. -- A Florida man charged with hacking into the system doctors use to order prescriptions and illegally obtaining painkillers from Long Island pharmacies faced a judge Friday.
While the online system was created to crack down on illegal prescriptions, 21-year-old Devin Magarian allegedly used it to order tens of thousands of prescriptions for oxycodone and narcotic cough medicine.
Magarian allegedly hacked doctors' accounts and created fictitious patients in order to sell millions of pain meds on the black market.
"The equivalent of stealing a prescription pad from from a doctor's office 10, 15, 20 years ago. Only now, they're stealing it through technology," said Frank A. Tarentino III, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York Division.
"In the past it was common for a criminal to steal a doctor's prescription pad and use it to fill illegal prescriptions. Well this defendant and his associates allegedly took that template and updated it for 2024 in a grand way. This is one of the most complex and technologically sophisticated drug operations I have ever witnessed," said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Prosecutors said the far-reaching conspiracy involved runners who picked up the drugs from pharmacies on Long Island and across the U.S.
"They used those compromised accounts to issue and fill tens of thousands of prescriptions for narcotics," said Donnelly.
Magarian was caught when he allegedly sold an undercover agent 630 oxycodone pills for $14,500 after a pharmacy in Great Neck noticed a suspicious pickup and called law enforcement.
Investigators said Magarian flooded unsuspecting doctors with text messages to bury notifications about their accounts being compromised. A bot then created fake patient names, and by the time a doctor realized they were hacked, it was too late.
"In one weekend, 18,500 scripts were issued," said Donnelly.
Magarian allegedly advertised pills on the Telegram app and wore its logo around his neck. He allegedly used millions of dollars in profits to support a lavish lifestyle in Kissimmee, Florida.
"He has no criminal record. First time being in trouble with the law and we are going to exonerate him," said defense attorney Douglas Rankin.
Magarian's parents offered to put up bail, which the judge rejected.
It was not immediately known how many doctors' accounts were compromised, but prosecutors estimated millions of pain pills were sold illegally this way over the last year.
Donnelly said she anticipates more arrests.