North Jersey group indicted for opioid theft scheme, state says

🔴 Five people have been charged in a scheme to steal opioid cough syrup

🔴 They're accused of breaking into medical offices to steal prescription pads

🔴 The scheme spanned 11 counties, officials said

Five people from North Jersey are facing a combined dozens of charges for a far-reaching medical burglary and opioid syrup theft scheme, according to authorities.

The group is accused of breaking into medical offices to steal prescription pads throughout 11 counties. They then forged doctors' signatures to get prescriptions filled for Promethazine with Codeine, a cough syrup sought by criminals for its opioid content, the Attorney General's Office said.

A state grand jury returned the indictment last week after hearing evidence that came from an investigation conducted by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.

The group targeted medical offices throughout the state including in Wayne, Morristown, and Bridgewater, according to Interim Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Al Garcia.

“Anyone who engages in criminal, deceitful behavior to obtain drugs, particularly on a scale this vast, must be held accountable," Garcia said.

Though five people were charged, Divinete Jeffries, 30, of East Orange, faces the bulk of the charges with 60 offenses against him. He is being held at Middlesex County Jail.

The charges against Jeffries include 18 counts of third-degree forgery, 14 counts of third-degree obtaining CDS by fraud, seven counts of second and third-degree burglary, seven counts of third-degree theft, and several other offenses.

Kevin Lucanto, 48, of Paterson faces 47 charges including 15 counts of third-degree receiving stolen property, 14 counts of third-degree forgery, 14 counts of third-degree obtaining CDS by fraud, third-degree conspiracy, and other offenses.

Also facing charges within the indictment are 28-year-old Akeem Adelekan of East Orange, 43-year-old Otto Lachenauer of Westfield, and 25-year-old Satia Salters of East Orange.

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