Three men from Texas admitted on Mar. 24 to stealing controlled substances from three pharmacies in Missouri and Kansas last year.
Erik Dewayne Lyons Jr., Jonathan Fore, and Anthony Ray Venwright pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and entering a pharmacy with the intent to steal controlled substances. According to court documents, Lyons entered his plea on Thursday, while Fore and Venwright pleaded guilty on March 30.
The three men traveled from Houston, Texas, to Lee’s Summit, Missouri, on July 29, 2025. The following day, Lyons waited nearby in a Toyota RAV4 while Venwright and Fore broke into a pharmacy and stole drugs. They then targeted another pharmacy in Overland Park, Kansas. On July 31, they broke into a Maryland Heights pharmacy before being identified by Maryland Heights police.
Authorities tracked the RAV4 vehicle involved in the crimes as it traveled into Arkansas. The Arkansas State Police stopped both the RAV4 and a companion vehicle. Investigators later found two trash bags containing stolen drugs from the third burglary along with evidence linking all three men to each of the break-ins.
In total, they admitted stealing more than 25,000 doses of pain pills and other controlled substances across all incidents.
Lyons is scheduled for sentencing on July 13; Fore and Venwright are set for sentencing on July 6. Each count carries a maximum penalty of up to twenty years in prison.
The case was investigated by law enforcement agencies including Maryland Heights Police Department, Arkansas State Police, Clark County Sheriff’s Department (Arkansas), Lee’s Summit Police Department (Missouri), and Overland Park Police Department (Kansas). Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting this case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative using federal resources against illegal immigration as well as drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
