Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced a Florida man was indicted on criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal diversion charges for allegedly commandeering the e-prescribing privileges of multiple doctors across the country to issue thousands of narcotic prescriptions for controlled substances.
Devin Anthony Magarian, 21, from Kissimmee, Florida, was arraigned before Judge Robert A. Schwartz on charges of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree (an A-I felony), two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a B felony), Criminal Diversion of Prescription Medication and Prescriptions in the Second Degree (a D felony) and 15 counts of Criminal Diversion of Prescription Medication and Prescriptions in the Fourth Degree (an A misdemeanor). The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The defendant’s remand was continued, and he is due back in court on April 23, 2024.
“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 DA 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.”
DA Donnelly said that 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 Devin Anthony Magarian, a Florida resident.
Magarian is allegedly a leader in an elaborate, multi-state conspiracy that has fraudulently compromised the e-prescribing credentials of doctors throughout the United States and then used those credentials to issue tens of thousands of prescriptions for narcotics across the country. Magarian typically used the privileges to create prescriptions for Oxycodone, and Promethazine and Codeine, a common cough syrup that is abused by drug users.
As part of the scheme, associates of Magarian, 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.
The defendant allegedly operated a channel on the Telegram mobile app that served as an advertisement board. Magarian allegedly let his customers know when the next round of prescriptions – via a compromised doctor’s e-prescribing privileges – was coming, so that they could place their orders. The defendant allegedly referred to these moments as “portals.”
Customers allegedly messaged Magarian directly to purchase from the defendant either prescriptions – which the customer would then be responsible for filling themselves – or actual controlled substances, including Oxycodone, and Promethazine and Codeine.
The defendant was arrested by members of the Nassau County Police Department in New York City on January 17, 2024.
Magarian was in the New York area to receive approximately $14,000 from a single individual who was picking up prescriptions for Oxycodone allegedly at the defendant’s direction. The money was compensation for a total of seven prescriptions of Oxycodone 30 mg, each of which contained 90 tablets, for a total of 630 pills.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s office thanks 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.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Brian Rodriguez of the Narcotics, Firearms & Gangs Bureau. Magarian is represented by Douglas Rankin, Esq.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
