Guilty Plea in NJ Oxycodone Conspiracy

How many doses of prescription drugs can thieves fit into 17 garbage bags and two cardboard boxes? According to a 22-year-old man’s guilty plea today, the answer is: about 6,600 doses.

David Mordukhaev of Brooklyn, N.Y. admits he was involved in a plot to burglarize a pharmacy in Englishtown, N.J., and sold stolen narcotics for cash.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman has released court documents and sworn statements revealing the massive quantity of drugs that were stolen. Last June, Mordukhaev and his fellow conspirators filled 17 garbage bags and two cardboard boxes with merchandise from the pharmacy, including approximately 1,988 dosage units of methylphenidate, 500 dosage units of hydromorphone, 300 dosage units of Opana (a trade name for oxymorphone) and 3,800 dosage units of oxycodone

The stock lost by the pharmacy was valued at $350,000. Mordukhaev admited he stole the drugs knowing they would be sold for profit.

The conspiracy charge to which Mordukhaev has pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3.