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Largest Prescription Drug Heist in Arkansas History
Little Rock, Arkansas – In a shocking turn of events, three men have been indicted on federal charges related to the theft of over 25,000 prescription pills from the Westside Pharmacy in Benton, Arkansas, in January 2013.
The indictment, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, charges William Franklin Thompson, 34, of Traskwood; James Jubilee Owens, 38, of Bismarck; and Joseph Louis Thurlow, 23, of Hot Springs with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute Schedule II controlled substances, including Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, Morphine, Hydromorphone, Meperidine, Methadone, Methylphenadate, Dextroamphetamine, Tapentadol, and Lisdexamphetamine dimesylate.
According to the indictment, the men conspired to steal the prescription pills, which were valued at over $1 million, from the Westside Pharmacy on January 30, 2013. The theft was discovered when the pharmacy’s alarm system was triggered, and detectives from the Benton Police Department investigated the crime.
The investigation revealed that Thurlow gained entry to the pharmacy through an adjacent business, which shared ceiling space with the pharmacy. He then climbed into the pharmacy above the drop ceiling and broke into the Schedule II closet, where he loaded over 25,000 pills into a duffle bag. The pills were then taken to a Hot Springs home, where they were repackaged for distribution by the defendants.
The indictment also charges the men with aiding and abetting one another to possess Oxycodone with intent to distribute. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and at least 3 years of supervised release.
Thompson, Owens, and Thurlow are currently not in custody and will be summoned to appear in federal court later this month. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Little Rock Office and the Benton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tricia Harris and Jamie Dempsey.
Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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