Paterson Man Among Five Charged in Scheme to Burglarize Medical Offices, Steal Prescription Pads, Fraudulently Obtain Opioid Cough Syrup

TRENTON, NJ — A 48-year-old Paterson man was among five individuals charged in an 80-count indictment for their alleged participation in a statewide prescription drug theft scheme spanning 11 counties, a statement from the Office of the Attorney General and Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) announced Wednesday.

Among others, Kevin Lucanto, 48, was charged with one count each of Conspiracy and Attempt to obtain CDS by Fraud, 14 counts each of Obtaining CDS by Fraud and Forgery, and 15 counts Receiving Stolen Property.

According to a statement, the grand jury heard testimony that in 2022 and 2023, the defendants conspired in an elaborate scheme when one of the other suspects would allegedly burglarize medical offices and steal prescription pads from doctors. The stolen prescription pads would be used to forge prescriptions and were supplied to various pharmacies around the state. The prescriptions would be filled and issued to the defendants, who used stolen identities and fake manufactured drivers' licenses to fraudulently obtain Promethazine with Codeine, a schedule V controlled dangerous substance (CDS), a cough syrup typically abused due to its opioid content.

"These defendants conspired to unlawfully gain entry to doctors' offices, steal prescription blanks, and forge physicians' signatures, in order to acquire a cough syrup commonly used as an ingredient in a dangerous narcotic cocktail," said First Assistant Attorney General Lyndsay V. Ruotolo. "This alleged conspiracy involved the use of fraud to further fuel the opioid epidemic."