In August 2016 a retail pharmacy in Carlsbad, New Mexico reported a theft or loss of controlled substances to federal authorities. According to the report, 20,344 oxycodone tablets of various strengths had gone missing from the pharmacy's stock. A pharmacy technician who had previously been employed there was identified as the suspected thief.
The DEA's Tactical Diversion Squad, based in El Paso, opened an investigation after receiving the pharmacy's report. That investigation led to a federal criminal complaint charging the former technician with theft of medical products, and the DEA made an arrest on September 23, 2016. The case was announced as part of the HOPE Initiative, a federal effort aimed at reducing opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The defendant was scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court in Roswell on September 27, 2016. If convicted on the charge in the complaint, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in federal prison. The charge is an accusation only; the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case illustrates how a pharmacy's own theft-or-loss report to the DEA can trigger a federal diversion investigation, and how the reported shortage was traced to a single employee with access to the controlled-substance stock.