N.J. Pharmacy Owner, 15 Others Charged In Oxycodone Distribution Scheme
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The owner of a pharmacy in Belleville, New Jersey was accused along with 15 others Wednesday with running a scheme to obtain and distribute oxycodone fraudulently.
Those charged Wednesday included Victoria "Gypsy" Horvath, 42, of Elizabeth, who prosecutors said was a ``senior member'' of the drug trafficking ring, and Vincent Cozzarelli, 77, of Belleville, who owns a pharmacy in that Essex County town, according to a published report.
The office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said Cozzarelli supplied Horvath and other ring members with oxycodone and other drugs, even though he knew the prescriptions they received from various doctors had been ``fraudulently obtained'' and that the drugs would be illegally sold for profit.
All 16 defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute oxycodone.
Each defendant could face up to 20 years in prison.
Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com:
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
