ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Jonathan Ross Carlton, 23, of McLean, Va., was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing a string of robberies of area pharmacies. Carlton was also ordered to pay $35,300 in restitution.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Colonel David Rohrer, Fairfax County Chief of Police; Charlie T. Deane, Prince William County Chief of Police; and J. Thomas Manger, Montgomery County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge T. S. Ellis, III.  On Nov. 22, 2010, Carlton pled guilty to robbing a CVS Pharmacy in Falls Church, Va., and possessing oxycodone with the intent to distribute.

According to court documents, Carlton robbed or attempted to rob five pharmacies located in Fairfax County, Prince William County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.  At each pharmacy, Carlton presented a note claiming to have a gun and demanding 80 milligram Oxycontin pills.  As a result of these robberies, Carlton obtained at least 2,200 Oxycontin pills, which he either sold or used.  Carlton, who was arrested after attempting to rob a CVS pharmacy in Manassas, Va., was identified through store surveillance video.  

            This case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”)  investigation (Operation “Cotton Candy”), which has been focusing on the illegal distribution by numerous doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and patients of pain medication, including the very  potent, expensive, and widely-abused oxycodone, also known by the brand name of “OxyContin”.  This OCDETF matter, which involves support from the FBI, DEA, Bureau of Alcohol,  Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive (ATF),  Department of Defense (DOD), Virginia State Police,  Internal Revenue Service, and Buchanan, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince  William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Tazewell, and Warren Counties, and Manassas City, Virginia,  Police Departments, as well as numerous other state and local law enforcement in Virginia and  elsewhere, has secured more than 200 drug-trafficking convictions and guilty pleas.

            This case was investigated by the Fairfax, Prince William and Montgomery County Police Departments.  Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

 

 

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