Four Maryland residents, including two from Montgomery County, have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a prescription drug trafficking conspiracy involving an Annandale doctor who was convicted of illegally distributing thousands of oxycodone pills and huge quantities of prescription cough syrup.
Yared Michael Tesfaye, 29, of Montgomery Village, received the longest sentence of the four, serving 60 months in federal prison. Elhadj Malick Diallo, 32, of Silver Spring, was sentenced to time served, which is about 13 months.
Cameron Isaiah Lewis, 24, and Raymono Alfonzo Russell II, 25, both from Bowie, were sentenced to eight and ten months in federal prison, respectively. All four previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Schedule II restricted narcotics, as well as obtaining promethazine-codeine solution through deception.
Dr. Rotimi Iluyomade, an Annandale-based physician, was convicted of distributing more than 7,000 oxycodone pills, 34,000 milliliters of hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution, commonly known as Tussionex, and 107,000 milliliters of promethazine-codeine solution, also known as “lean.”
According to federal authorities, Iluyomade and his co-conspirators delivered fake prescriptions for restricted narcotics to pharmacies across the country between 2023 and 2024. Prescriptions were delivered to pharmacies throughout more than a dozen states, including Maryland and Virginia. Prosecutors said that at least 70 of the illicit prescriptions were delivered to or filled at pharmacies in the Western District of Virginia.
As part of the plan, they went to Iluyomade’s Crossover Medical Center in Annandale and handed over lists of names, addresses, and other identifying information for alleged patients. They then requested that prescriptions be distributed to pharmacies across the country.
According to court filings, Tesfaye was the first co-conspirator to go to Iluyomade to obtain false prescriptions. In addition to acquiring prescriptions for himself, authorities said Tesfaye offered “slots” with the doctor to other defendants, allowing them to obtain false prescriptions.
According to prosecutors, Lewis and Diallo went to pharmacies to pick up prescriptions issued by Iluyomade before distributing the pills for profit. Authorities said the two occasionally posted photos on social media to boost sales and paid Iluyomade $300 for each phony prescription.
The inquiry began in September 2023, when Russell attempted to pick up a forged prescription from a drugstore in Honaker, Virginia. After Russell was caught, investigators searched his vehicle and discovered several controlled-substance prescription bottles with different patient names. Prosecutors said Iluyomade wrote all of the prescriptions, which were filled at pharmacies in multiple Virginia communities.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Virginia State Police, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, the Salisbury Police Department, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Police, the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Food and Drug Administration.
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