Essex County Man Pleads Guilty To Oxycodone Conspiracy, Livingston Doc Prescribed Pills: Prosecutor

Essex County, NJ – An Essex County man has admitted his role in a conspiracy to illegally obtain and distribute oxycodone in New Jersey, authorities stated

On Wednesday, Rickie Horvath, 54, of Belleville, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (NJ) stated.

According to court documents and statements, using “confidential sources, physical surveillance, and recorded text messages and telephone calls,” investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) discovered that members and suppliers of a drug-trafficking organization secured prescriptions for oxycodone and other controlled substances from various doctors in New Jersey, filled them at pharmacies in Belleville and elsewhere, and sold the drugs for a profit.

The investigation identified Horvath as a member of the drug trafficking organization, prosecutors stated.

According to prosecutors, Horvath admitted that from Feb. 5, 2014, to Aug. 13, 2014, he personally went to various doctors' offices and obtained prescriptions for pills containing oxycodone, had the prescriptions filled, and sold the pills to members of the conspiracy and others.

Prosecutors said that in June of 2014, Horvath traveled to a doctor's office in Livingston, where he and two conspirators each obtained a prescription for 60 Endocet pills.

Prosecutors stated that the same day, Horvath and his conspirators dropped off the three prescriptions to be filled by a pharmacy in East Orange. Horvath admitted that he and his two conspirators then found a fourth conspirator to buy the 180 Endocet pills. Horvath and his conspirators traveled to the East Orange pharmacy with the third conspirator buyer, where Horvath used the fourth conspirator's money to purchase the filled prescriptions. Horvath and his conspirators then sold the 180 Endocet pills to the fourth conspirator.

The charge to which Horvath pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, prosecutors said.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 12.

Of the individuals originally charged with Horvath – Victoria Horvath, 43, of Belleville, New Jersey; Monica Horvath, 22, Tony Marco, 47, and Steven Horvath, 45, all of Rutherford, New Jersey; and Justin Farraj, 24, of Newark, New Jersey – all have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Brian Perez, 23, was sentenced in September 2014 to 40 months in prison. Luis Rivera, 25, was sentenced in August of 2015 to 54 months in prison. In April of 2016, Daniel Horvath, 27, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and Johnny Horvath, 46, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Charges were dismissed against Belleville pharmacist Vincent Cozzarelli after his death in April of 2014.

The indictment remains pending against five other conspirators, prosecutors stated.

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