VB man illegally acquired 50,000+ opioid doses, pleads guilty to federal prescription fraud charges

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — On Friday, a Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty to acquiring over 50,000 dosage units of prescription medications through fraudulent means.

Court documents show that Justin Feliciano Agloro, 40, a former licensed pharmacy technician at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, used his position to steal a variety of prescription medications, including thousands of prescription opioid pills.

As the technician responsible for ensuring that the hospital’s controlled substance distribution machine was filled with the correct amounts of various controlled substances, Agloro executed a scheme by which he would steal controlled substances and falsify records to cover his theft.

“Pharmacy technicians are entrusted with safeguarding and maintaining prescription medications in a responsible manner,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This defendant did the opposite. He stole a large supply of prescription medications from a hospital that were intended for the treatment of deserving patients. As this case demonstrates, those who masquerade as health care professionals and abuse their trusted positions will be prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia.”

Officials say the scheme lasted from April 2018 to October 2019 but did not uncover it until Agloro was on personal leave from the hospital. Court records say he avoided camera systems and would intercept daily reports that would have confirmed his diversion of controlled substances while on duty at the hospital.

Agloro is expected to be sentenced on December 17. He faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison.