Bergen County officials say they hope that the arrest of a 21-year-old man on drug crime charges will help them shut down a prescription fraud ring.
The New York man, 21, arrested earlier this week in Glen Rock was booked on prescription fraud charges, law enforcement officials said.
He was arrested shortly before 7 p.m. at Rock Ridge Pharmacy for allegedly attempting to use a fraudulent prescription for Oxycodone.
Police said they chased the suspect on foot before apprehending the man between the railroad tracks and Glen Rock Savings Bank.
Police say they hope the arrest could lead to further busts in prescription frauds they say have taken place in Hawthorne, Freehold, Fair Lawn and several New York locations.
A police department spokesperson said the Glen Rock officers arrived on the scene after getting a call from the pharmacy that the man was attempting to use a prescription that appeared fraudulent.
Police say the suspect is believed to be part of a group with two other men and a woman, all still at large, believed to be carrying out similar prescription frauds in the area.
"This is a break in a prescription fraud ring we believe to be based in Brooklyn," a law enforcement spokesperson said earlier this week. "There have been at least a dozen attempts where this crew has hit."
The group is allegedly using a prescription pad stolen from a psychiatrist in New York, who reportedly doesn't know how or when his pad was taken.
At least two pharmacies have turned away attempts to use the stolen prescriptions, police said.
In similar cases, people who suspect they're under police investigation do well to discuss their legal options with an experienced attorney who can help protect their rights and freedom.
Source: NorthJersey.com, "In Glen Rock arrest, police seek clues to Bergen prescription fraud ring," May 16, 2012