Board Revokes License of Pharmacist Convicted in 'Pill Mill' Ring

ATLANTA, GA -- Officials from the Georgia Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, on behalf of the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy, served summary suspension orders on the license of a pharmacist who was convicted of illegally dispensing powerful pain medications.

The orders for Rosemary E. Ofume and the license for Medicine Center Pharmacy were served at the facility at 1634 Jonesboro Road SE in Atlanta. As of Friday, the pharmacy has no license, and can no longer fill prescriptions.

Ofume is also prohibited from practicing at any pharmacy location, as she has lost her Georgia pharmacy license.

Federal prosecutors alleged Ofume and husband, Donatus Iriele, illegally dispensed controlled narcotics to customers of the "pill mill" pain clinic across the street from their business on Jonesboro Road, the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia previously said.

Both respondents were found guilty on three counts of knowingly and intentionally dispensing and aiding and abetting in the distribution and dispensing of controlled substances outside the course of medical practice, one count of controlled substance conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy regarding customers of the so-called pill mill.

Additionally, Iriele, a pharmacist whose license was previously revoked, was convicted separately of five counts of concealment of money laundering and laundering more than $10,000 of criminally derived property.

Following the convictions in the United States District Court, the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy found that both the pharmacy and Ofume's continued ability to practice "pose a threat to the public health, safety, and welfare and found that it was imperative that emergency action take place by order of these summary suspensions," the Narcotics Agency said.

The case against the pharmacist and her establishment began in May 2009 when DEA agents, working with the Internal Revenue Service, began investigating Atlanta-based AMARC pain clinic and nearby Medicine Center Pharmacy after receiving information that the clinic and pharmacy were illegitimately prescribing and dispensing pain pills to drug addicts and drug dealers.

The investigation revealed that Godfrey Ilonzo financed and operated at least eight clinics in the metro Atlanta area under the “AMARC” name, including a Lakewood pain clinic and one in Tyrone. Bona Ilonzo, Godfrey Ilonzo’s wife, served as the office manager at the Lakewood AMARC pain clinic.

At various times, Dr. Nevorn Askari and Dr. William Richardson served as the primary doctors for the AMARC pain clinics. Rosemary Ofume and Donatus Iriele operated the Medicine Center Pharmacy across the street from one of the pain clinics. Both Godfrey and Bona Ilonzo, as well as Dr. Askari and Dr. Richardson, previously pleaded guilty to charges related to their conduct at the clinic.

The couple worked together with the Ilonzos and the doctors to facilitate the dispensing of oxycodone pills and other opiates to addicts and distributors. When customers received prescriptions from Askari and Richardson for "medically inappropriate and potentially lethal combinations of opiates and other controlled substances," they were told by clinic staff to fill their prescriptions across the street at "Rosemary's pharmacy," U.S. Attorney John Horn previously said.

Many customers traveled to the AMARC clinics and Ofume and Iriele's pharmacy from counties throughout Georgia and from other states, including Alabama and Ohio.

Customers waited for hours at the Lakewood AMARC pain clinic and paid cash to receive prescriptions for oxycodone or hydrocodone, xanax, and soma before purchasing the pills at high prices from Ofume and Iriele’s pharmacy. Employees at the AMARC clinics and Ofume and Iriele’s pharmacy received discounts and special treatment, including free office visits and reduced prices for pills dispensed at the pharmacy.

Ofume lied to pharmaceutical distributors in order to procure astronomical quantities of oxycodone and other prescription pain pills that were then dispensed to customers having obvious signs of addiction or drug diversion.

In 2009, Medicine Center Pharmacy purchased 11 times more oxycodone than the average pharmacy in the state of Georgia.

Throughout the conspiracy, Ofume and Iriele generated more than $5.1 million from unlawful prescriptions issued by doctors affiliated with the AMARC clinics. Iriele used the pharmacy proceeds to buy three luxury vehicles for him and his wife's personal use. The couple also laundered pharmacy proceeds by purchasing vehicles in the U.S. for individuals in Nigeria, while those customers then deposited local Nigerian currency into Iriele's own Nigerian bank account.

Based on the convictions, Ofume and Iriele were ordered to forfeit $16,767 in cash seized from the pharmacy; $133,892.74 in funds seized from the pharmacy’s bank account; a 2009 BMW X5; a 2008 Mercedes Benz ML550; a 2007 BMW X5; and Ofume’s Georgia pharmacist license.

In addition, the government also intends to seek money judgments equal to the amount of proceeds defendants obtained from their illegal drug trafficking and the amount of money laundered.

The sentencing of Godrey and Bona Ilonzo, Dr. Askari, and Dr. Richardson are scheduled to take place throughout the day May 16 before U.S. District Court Judge Steve C. Jones. The sentencing of Ofume and Iriele are scheduled for 10 a.m. June 13 before Jones.

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