A Nigerian-American pharmacist and pharmacy owner has been convicted by a federal jury in Florida for illegally distributing more than 335000 oxycodone pills through two pharmacies, authorities said.
Olushola Yusuf, 60, of Tampa, was found guilty by a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida on July 21 of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances and five counts of illegal drug distribution, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Yusuf owned and operated Boots LLC, doing business as Striderite Pharmacy in Margate, and Chans Pharmacy Plus in Pembroke Pines.
Prosecutors told the court that Yusuf dispensed at least 335351 tablets of 30 milligram oxycodone, the strongest available dosage, to customers who had no legitimate medical need for the powerful opioid. Oxycodone is typically prescribed to patients suffering severe chronic pain, including people undergoing cancer treatment.
Investigators said Yusuf charged customers about ten times the normal price for the medication and insisted on cash payments, with some customers paying as much as $1000 every month.
Court testimony revealed that known drug dealers regularly collected prescriptions from her pharmacies and that customers travelled from other states because they believed her business would fill prescriptions that other pharmacies refused. Witnesses also testified that the pharmacy doors were kept locked and that only selected customers were allowed inside.
Federal prosecutors said Yusuf continued the illegal operation despite repeated warnings from her own employees and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“The defendant abused the public trust by using her pharmacies to unlawfully distribute deadly opioids,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division.
“This conviction sends an unmistakable message. Whether you deal drugs on a street corner or from behind a pharmacy counter, the Fraud Division will hold you fully accountable under the law.”
United States Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said Yusuf built her business around obvious warning signs instead of addressing them.
“Olushola Yusuf did not simply ignore red flags. She built her business around them,” he said.
“He knowingly flooded South Florida communities with more than 335000 high dose oxycodone pills, even after her employees and the DEA warned her about the dangers of her conduct. Yusuf charged extraordinary cash prices, served drug dealers and customers who travelled long distances, and put profit ahead of patients, public safety, and her responsibilities as a pharmacist.”
Yusuf was convicted on all six charges brought against her. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each count.
She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, when a federal judge will determine her punishment after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
