Sarasota News Leader

09/27/2013

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Sarasota News Leader September 27, 2013 She told the officers she feared the suspect would kill her, so she went with him to the front desk. The clerk then unlocked the safe and gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of money, according to the report. Page 86 tall with a slender build. He was wearing a black baseball-type hat with a white letter on it, a gray bandana over his face, a black longsleeved shirt with possibly a gray design or just a gray undershirt beneath it, black shorts and shoes. The suspect ordered the clerk to lie facedown on the ground and to stay there, the report Anyone with information about the suspect is encouraged to call the Sarasota Police Departsays. ment at 316-1199, leave an anonymous tip with The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in Crime Stoppers by calling 366-TIPS (8477) or gohis 20s, 5 feet 8 inches tall to 5 feet 10 inches ing online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com. SHERIFF'S OFFICE'S OPERATION MAIN PAIN NETS 61 ARRESTS The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has arrested 61 people "in a lengthy investigation into a widespread prescription fraud ring involving local residents," the office announced on Sept. 19. ring had several recruiters who asked runners to enter the pharmacies multiple times a day with identical prescriptions, for which efforts the runners were paid in cash, the release says. The recruiters chose two primary pharIn July 2011, a person came into a Sarasota macies, Olson Liggett Rexall Drug in Sarasota County pharmacy to present a fraudulent Oxy- and Barclay Pharmacy in Venice. codone prescription from a physician at a Mi- "The unexpected arrest of one recruiter ami pain management clinic, a news release caused the ring to disband," the release adds. says. When subsequent scripts were present- The fraud script ringleader is Cuban, and the ed, they were identified as suspicious and de- ring primarily involved people of Cuban declined, the release points out. scent from Sarasota County who were paid for "The suspects regrouped and on July 18, 2011, the use of their personal information on the just days after the new state law went into prescriptions, the release points out. "Most effect requiring prescriptions be written on defendants knew each other and were recruitcounterfeit-proof paper, the group ordered 400 ed by word of mouth, particularly if they were fraudulent prescriptions on counterfeit-proof in need of cash," it says. paper," listing the Miami doctor's name, DEA The investigation eventually revealed that number and the Sarasota address of 1620 Main 220 fraudulent prescriptions were written for St., the release continues. On July 25, 2011, the 19,980 Oxycodone pills, which were diverted scripts were delivered to that location, which from legitimate medical use, as well as for is a valid address but not the location of a pain Xanax and ibuprofen, the release adds. The management clinic, the release notes. recruiters collected the pills from the runners Investigators with the Pharmaceutical Diver- and turned them over to the ringleader, who sion Unit were able to determine the crime lived in Sarasota at the time. "The street value

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