2 Charged As Prescription Fraud Thwarted At Brick Pharmacy

BRICK, NJ — A pair of New York men were arrested Thursday as Brick Township police thwarted an attempt at prescription fraud, the police department said.

Alexis Inoa, 22, and Carlos Herrera, 21, have been charged with three counts of possession with intent to distribute, four counts of obtaining prescriptions by fraud, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and conspiracy, said Brick Patrol Officer Victoria Finelli, of the department's community policing unit.

They were arrested as they picked up multiple prescriptions at Briarmill Pharmacy on Lanes Mill Road, Finelli said.

The arrests were the result of an investigation prompted by information from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency about a small group traveling throughout New Jersey and beyond that is targeting pharmacies for prescription fraud, she said.

The investigation revealed Briarmill Pharmacy might be the next target, Finelli said, and with assistance from the pharmacy and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, Brick Street Crimes Unit detectives conducted surveillance on the pharmacy.

In addition to arresting Inoa and Herrera, police seized the vehicle they were driving pending a search warrant, along with an undisclosed amount of cash believed to be proceeds of criminal activity, Finelli said.

The men were released with summonses.