An Everett man is the eighth person to plead guilty in connection with a Northwest scheme to burglarize pharmacies and then sell prescription narcotics.
Anthony J. Houser, 28, admitted Friday in U.S. District Court that he was involved in burglaries of a south Everett Bartell Drugs and a Walla Walla Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in 2004.
U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik is scheduled to sentence Houser on July 6. The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to court documents, Houser received several thousand dollars for his participation in the burglaries.
Typically, the burglars waited until after closing time, cut telephone lines to disable remote security alarms and then broke into the businesses. Painkillers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone were targeted.
As a part of his plea, Houser agreed to pay restitution to each of the pharmacies for the physical damage he caused and for the value of the drugs taken.
Besides the eight who pleaded guilty to burglary, several other people have pleaded guilty to selling the drugs.
The investigation is continuing and charges against additional participants in the scheme are expected, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Everett and Walla Walla police departments are among those agencies that investigated the case.
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