Crimes Nearby: Carjacking; Pharmacist Accused of Fraud

Nassau County police continue to investigate a carjacking that took place in Flower Hill Sunday night.

Detectives say a 51-year-old male was driving a 2013 Land Rover at Stonytown Road and Chanticlare Drive on Sunday at 9:45 p.m. when his vehicle was struck by an unknown older model dark colored SUV with four unknown men inside.

The victim pulled over to inspect the damage to his vehicle when two of the men from the other car displayed handguns, according to police. The men then took the victim’s wallet along with his jacket containing his car keys and an undetermined amount of cash. They pushed him to the ground and then fled in the Land Rover, heading west on Stonytown Road, police said.

The car was found unoccupied at Queens Boulevard and 62nd Street in Woodside where, police said, Nassau County and New York City Police officers conducted an extensive search. The suspects could not be found, police said. 

Detectives request anyone with information regarding this crime to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous. Learn more. 

Pharmacy Owner From Port Accused in Prescription Drug Fraud Scheme

A pharmacy owner from Port Washington is accused of engaging in a plan to defraud Medicaid and Medicare through the sale of large amounts of illegaly diverted prescription drugs, officials announced last week.

Purna Chandra Aramalla, who operates A Fair Deal Pharmacy Inc. in Queens and Quality Health Drug Inc. in Bronx, was arrested last week for allegedly carrying out the multimillion-dollar scheme by purchasing pharmaceuticals, including high-cost HIV medications, that were obtained from patients who sold the drugs rather than use them.

Aramalla also obtained reimbursement for pharmaceuticals that were never actually dispensed to patients, according to authorities. Instead, customers with prescriptions for pharmaceuticals essentially “sold” their prescriptions to Aramalla, agreeing not to take delivery of the pharmaceuticals in exchange for a share of the reimbursed proceeds.

Authorities say, lighter fluid was used in Aramalla's scheme to dissolve adhesive on the repackaged pharmaceuticals which were resold to customers as new. In some cases, Medicaid or Medicare had already paid for the pharmaceuticals when they were initially dispensed, according to the case report. From October 2010 to August 2012, Aramalla purchased approximately $1.7 million of certain medications from two legitimate, licensed wholesalers that were his primary sources of legitimate drugs, according to authorities. During that same period, he received approximately $4.3 million in reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid for those same drugs.

Aramalla's attorney Catherine Foti told Patch, "Mr. Aramalla denies the charges and intends to defend his case vigorously." Learn more.

2 Nassau Sheriffs Charged with Perjury

Two members of the Nassau County Sheriff's Department stand accused of providing false testimony before a grand jury and making false statements on sworn documents in a case stemming from a 2011 jail fight with an inmate.

John Andujar and Joseph Donlon were arrested Monday by D.A. investigators and charged in a felony indictment that could land them behind bars for up to seven years, said Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice. 

The pair are charged with felony counts of perjury and making an apparently sworn false statement, and misdemeanor counts of official misconduct, making a punishable false written statement and conspiracy. The case was referred to Rice’s office by the Sheriff’s Department.

Andujar, 55, is retired from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department and lives in Florida. Donlon, 48, of Ronkonkoma, is still employed as a Nassau correction officer. Both defendants were arraigned Monday before Judge Alan Honorof. They are due back in court on Jan. 13. 

“We expect to hold law enforcement officers to the highest standards of honesty and discipline,” Rice said. “When that trust is broken, it unfairly taints the vast majority of law enforcement who serve honorably and we must act to correct it.”

Learn more about this case.