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BY ALICIA CRUZ
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
A Flemington man is in the custody of U.S. Federal Marshals after he was arrested Tuesday when a search of his home and several businesses he owned uncovered oxycodone pills, fraudulent prescriptions, three guns, blank prescriptions, anabolic steroids and more than $500,000 in cash.
Various law enforcement agencies launched a sting operation dubbed "Operation Oxymoron" in order to disband a lucrative narcotic distribution network that was allegedly ran by Vincent Hsia, age 50.
Federal agents say Hsia distributed thousands of illegal pharmaceutical narcotics in Essex County beginning in October 2007. Hsia, a licensed pharmacist, who owns a pharmacy in Edison, was charged with conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone. Federal investigators say Hsia, lead pharmacist of the Lincoln Pharmacy on Route 27, used his position there to fill more than 45,000 prescriptions for oxycodone pills that were not prescribed by physicians.
Search warrants were executed at the homes of four of Hsia's co-conspirators as well Lincoln Pharmacy, Sudz Wash & Fold in Somerville and Express Laundry World in Maplewood, all businesses owned by Hsia.
Law enforcement said Hsia used his white lab coat and his pharmaceutical license to hide his criminal activity.
Nineteen people in all were arrested and are in federal custody. U.S. Marshals are actively searching for three more accused drug dealers involved in Hsia's illegal pharmaceutical network that agents said racked in about $1 million a month.
The following people were also arrested along with Hsia:
Jason Caracappa, 30, of Manalapan, Marc Calabria, 31, and Thomas Giaimo, 27 both of Nutley; Pasquale Pugliese, 34 of Kenilworth, Keith Thompson, 31 and Michael Caviness, 49, both of Newark. John DeChiara, 19, of Edison, who is a clerk at Lincoln Pharmacy, was also arrested in the sting.
Police are searching for 11 more people connected to the distribution ring and they face state charges of illegally distributing narcotics when arrested. Hsia is facing 20-years to life if he is convicted and remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.
His staff could not have been nicer. It's a shame that he chose to take this path in life. He was a winner. Now he is a loser. Sadly his actions have hurt many people. Greed is an awful thing! God Bless his family, staff and those affected by his dispicable acts.