FL Pharmacist, Pharmacy Owner Convicted In Federal Oxycodone Case: U.S. DOJ

TAMPA, FL — A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted a licensed pharmacist and pharmacy owner tied to pharmacies in Margate and Pembroke Pines for her role in dispensing more than 300,000 oxycodone 30 mg pills to people who had no medical need for the drug, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

Olushola Yusuf, 60, of Tampa, dispensed oxycodone to nearly all her pharmacy customers, according to court documents.

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Yusuf owned and operated Boots LLC, doing business as Striderite, in Margate and Chans Pharmacy Plus, Inc. in Pembroke Pines, and distributed oxycodone 30mg pills through both pharmacies.

In total, she dispensed at least 335,351 pills of oxycodone 30mg during the conspiracy, the DOJ said.

Yusuf charged customers about 10 times the typical cost of the drug and required cash payments. Some customers paid as much as $1,000 a month in cash, and some were drug dealers who picked up pills purportedly on behalf of dozens of patients at a time who were not present, the DOJ said.

According to witnesses at trial, Yusuf kept the pharmacy doors locked during business hours and directed employees to open the door only for certain identified customers.

“Olushola Yusuf did not simply ignore red flags. She built her business around them,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said. “She knowingly flooded South Florida communities with more than 335,000 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 traveled long distances, and put profit ahead of patients, public safety, and her responsibilities as a pharmacist. Yesterday, a federal jury held her accountable.”

The jury convicted Yusuf of conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and five counts of illegal drug distribution. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14.

Her co-defendant, Saman Gimenez, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and is scheduled to be sentenced in October of this year.

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