Bellerose woman accused of theft of oxycodone pills from drugmaker

A Bellerose woman was indicted Friday after prosecutors accused her of stealing hundreds of thousands of oxycodone pills from the pharmaceutical company where she was employed, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said.

Usharani Alexander, 63, was charged with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for allegedly stealing the highly addictive opioid pills from Amneal Pharmaceuticals in Yaphank, where she worked as a packaging room operator.

“This defendant allegedly abused her position as an employee of a pharmaceutical company by stealing and illegally distributing oxycodone pills, which are highly addictive, if not used properly,” District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. “We continue to see the tragic effects of opioid addiction and its damaging effects on our communities. This alleged theft and illegal distribution of more than 200,000 oxycodone pills will not be tolerated.”

Prosecutors said the company noticed the thefts after an audit revealed a discrepancy in the number of pills produced at the facility and the amount actually packaged for distribution. An internal investigation and review of video surveillance showed Alexander used her key card to access the packaging room at times when she was not scheduled to be there in order to steal the pills, prosecutors said in a news release.

Alexander’s defense attorney, Steven Gaitman of Hempstead, described his client as a family woman with “deep ties to her community” and “no criminal record.”

“She denies the charges and looks forward to her day in court,” Gaitman said.

Alexander was arraigned before acting New York State Supreme Court Justice Stephen Braslow on Friday on four counts of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and four counts of third-degree grand theft larceny. She was released on her own recognizance, but will be subject to GPS monitoring, prosecutors said.

Alexander faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the top possession charge.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Lauren Golombek of the Narcotics Bureau.

Amneal Pharmaceuticals, a New Jersey-based maker of generic and name-brand prescription drugs, employing more than 800 people at warehouses in Yaphank and Hauppauge. A company spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.