Detectives assigned to the Narcotics Unit have conducted a round-up of suspects in Operation Oxy-Con. The round-up targeted 52 suspects with 122 charges of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and trafficking in controlled substance.

As of 10:00 p.m. on August 26, 2009, 21 of the 52 suspects had been arrested.

The round up began just after 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, 2009.The operation command post was established at a parking lot located at the corner of 66^th Street and 68^th Avenue in St. Petersburg.

The investigation began in December of 2008 after detectives received a tip that a fraudulent prescription had been passed at a local pharmacy.

According to detectives, the identified suspects were involved in a multi-tiered scheme in which hundreds of fraudulent prescriptions were passed at local pharmacies

Detectives say that suspects in the first tier, the “producers” created the fraudulent prescriptions on home computers. “Recruiters” formed the second tier; and “runners” the third. The “runners” were the persons who were reponsible for passing the prescriptions at local pharmacies.

The fraudulent prescriptions were made to the “runners” actual name, and contained the names of legitimate doctors and their licensing numbers. All other information on the prescription, to include the doctor’s addresses and phone numbers, was false.

According to detectives, if a pharmacy called the number on the prescription for verification, the phone number actually led to suspects who would confirm that the prescription was "legitimate."  

Once the prescription was filled, the runners turned the pills over to the recruiters who in turn gave them to the producers. Members of the organization were paid in pills or cash. The pills would later be sold on the street. Detectives estimate the organization was responsible for obtaining over 20,000 pills with a street value of approximately $300,000.

Suspects not arrested during the round-up will be sought in the coming days.