A Meriden man is accused of recruiting financially strapped people to obtain thousands of Oxycodone pills that he would then sell through his alleged prescription drug ring.
For the last six month, Wallingford Police Departments Narcotics Unit have been investigating and identified Ramphis Pacheco, 34, of Meriden, as the suspect at the helm of an illegal prescription pill ring responsible for distributing the highly addictive narcotic, police said.
Between May 2014and October 2014, Pacheco’s ring is accused of illegally obtaining 6,180 pills, worth an estimated street value of $185,400. Many of the pills were 120- count and 30mg Oxycodone pills and police said narcotics detectives have identified at least four doctors who were victimized in this ring.
Pacheco is accused of recruiting vulnerable people in need of money to pass prescriptions for him, specifically people on Medicaid so the pills would not cost any money, according to a news release from police.
He’d then pay them a minimal amount of money for getting the drugs, police said.
A warrant issued for Pacheco charged him with 15 counts of sale of narcotics, 15 counts of forgery in the second degree and one count of insurance fraud.
Police apprehended him on Feb. 11. After posting a $100,000 court-set bond, he was released and is due to appear in Meriden Superior Court.
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Twelve additional arrest warrants have been issued for others suspected in the ring.
Anyone with information about the illegal sale of prescription pills, or any other illegal drug activity, should call the Wallingford Police Department Narcotics Division at 203-269-6272.
