ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Nebraska pharmacist was arrested Friday on charges related to an alleged conspiracy to use explosives, specifically Molotov cocktails, to firebomb and destroy a competitor pharmacy.
According to court documents, Hyrum T. Wilson, 41, of Auburn, told an alleged co-conspirator: “This is the last shipment he will get from me as long as the other pharmacy is still standing.”
Wilson allegedly supplied thousands of prescription pills, including opioids, from his business, Hyrum’s Family Value Pharmacy, to William Anderson Burgamy IV. Burgamy allegedly operated as the Darknet vendor NeverPressedRX (NPRX) from August 2019 through April 2020, and had thousands of illegal recorded sales on a major Darknet market. Burgamy was charged in the Eastern District of Virginia last week and ordered detained. The firebombing plot was uncovered through search warrants that were executed following Burgamy’s arrest.
According to court documents, Wilson conspired with Burgamy to conduct a firebombing of another pharmacy in Auburn, Nebraska. The goal of the plot was to destroy Wilson’s local competition, which Wilson and Burgamy allegedly believed would increase the volume of prescription drugs that Wilson’s business could obtain, thereby allowing Wilson and Burgamy’s drug trafficking operation to continue and expand. Wilson and Burgamy allegedly agreed that the plot, named “Operation Firewood,” would involve the use of Molotov cocktails to burn down the victim pharmacy, and that Burgamy would carry numerous firearms during the attack.
Wilson allegedly created “getaway” maps and routes for Burgamy to use to help him evade law enforcement detection following the intended firebombing. Wilson also suggested that Burgamy steal prescription medications from the victim pharmacy before setting it on fire, and Burgamy offered to share with Wilson the profits from any stolen drugs.
Wilson is charged with conspiracy to use fire and explosives, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and a firearms-related offense. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
