A Florida pharmacist and business owner has received a 90-month federal prison sentence for illegally dispensing more than 335,000 high-dose oxycodone pills to customers who had no legitimate medical need for the medication, according to federal authorities.
Olushola Yusuf, 60, of Tampa, was convicted in July following a two-week jury trial on one count of conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and five counts of illegal drug distribution.
Court records and trial evidence established that Yusuf operated two South Florida pharmacies: Boots LLC, doing business as Striderite in Margate, and Chans Pharmacy Plus Inc. in Pembroke Pines. Through both locations, Yusuf sold 30-milligram oxycodone tablets , the highest strength available on the market , to nearly every customer who entered the premises.
Investigators determined that Yusuf charged customers approximately ten times the standard street value of the medication and required all transactions to be completed in cash, with some individuals paying as much as $1,300 per month. Drug dealers routinely collected large quantities of the narcotic from her stores on behalf of dozens of patients who never appeared in person.
Witnesses testified at trial that Yusuf kept the pharmacy doors locked during normal operating hours, directing staff to open them only for pre-approved customers. She continued the operation despite receiving explicit warnings regarding the illegality and danger of the sales from both her employees and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In total, Yusuf distributed at least 335,351 of the 30-milligram pills throughout the course of the scheme. The potent opioid is typically reserved for patients experiencing severe trauma or terminal cancer due to its significant risk of dependency and overdose.
Yusuf’s co-defendant, Saman Gimenez, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and is scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
The DEA, the FBI, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. The prosecution was handled by the Justice Department’s Fraud Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
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