More than a dozen veterans and employees of a Veterans Affairs medical center in South Florida were charged with selling oxycodone and other drugs around the facility, authorities said Thursday.
Six VA employees, including a pharmacist, nursing assistants and a pharmacy technician, were among the 17 arrested in an undercover investigation of the West Palm Beach Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. More arrests are expected, according to the Palm Beach County state attorney's office.
Roughly 6,000 oxycodone pills, more than $200,000 in cash and two vehicles were seized. Nineteen were charged in the bust, authorities said.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw described the suspects as "independent operators with a common theme" working in an "unsophisticated" scam to divert pills from the medical center.
Veterans receiving services at the facility were also selling drugs, along with their associates. Authorities began the seven-month long investigation after the VA Office of Inspector General alerted authorities.
In June, undercover officers arranged to buy four Oxycodone pills on the VA property for $60.
Authorities also bought 45 Ecstasy pills from a defendant at a fast food restaurant on a separate occasion, according to an arrest affidavit.
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"The alleged misconduct by VA employees is unacceptable. VA does not tolerate illegal activity by anyone at its facilities. VA will continue to work with the proper authorities to ensure those who committed crimes are brought to justice," medical center director Charleen Szabo said.
No doctors were arrested in the bust. The suspects face a variety of charges, mainly oxycodone trafficking and marijuana sales.
"This enforcement action is another punch in the fight against the worst bully we have faced in this community in some time -- that bully is prescription drug abuse and trafficking," State Attorney Michael McAuliffe said.
