Professional Drug Dealer and Thief Gets Day in Court

By Aujunai Charpentiair

Baltimore Pharmacist Sentenced for Felony Medicaid Fraud, Felony Theft, and Distribution of
Controlled Dangerous Substances

BALTIMORE, MD (May 22, 2019) - Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh announced
today that Susan I. Nwoga, 48, a Burtonsville pharmacist practicing in Baltimore, was sentenced
following her February 13, 2019 conviction for felony Medicaid fraud, felony theft, and
distribution of controlled dangerous substances.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Marcus Z. Shar sentenced Nwoga to five years of
incarceration for the Medicaid fraud and felony theft convictions; 10 years of incarceration, with
all but time served suspended, and five years of probation for two counts of distribution; and one
month in jail, with all but time served suspended, and five years of supervised probation for the
remaining distribution counts. In total, Nwoga will serve five years of incarceration, with an
additional 20 years suspended, and five years of supervised probation. Nwoga stole over
$365,000 from the Maryland Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid). A restitution hearing will
be held at a later date.

Nwoga owned and operated Poplar Grove Pharmacy, an independent, retail pharmacy located in
the 700 block of Poplar Grove Street in Baltimore. Beginning in 2012, Poplar Grove customers
presented Nwoga with patently fraudulent prescriptions. Nwoga knowingly and willfully filled
the fraudulent prescriptions and dispensed controlled dangerous substances - including
oxycodone, alprazolam, clonazepam, and promethazine - to her customers. Nwoga then
submitted claims for payment and reimbursement for the filled prescriptions to Medicaid and
other health benefit programs.

“Ms. Nwoga purposefully and unlawfully distributed prescription drugs. She cheated the state
out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and she contributed to the deadly epidemic of addiction
in our state,” said Attorney General Brian Frosh.

In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Frosh thanked Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
Assistant Attorneys General Catherine Schuster Pascale and Tracee Orlove Fruman, Investigator
Shannon Beatty, Investigator Michael Glenn, Auditor Todd Sheffer, and Paralegal Harouna
Boncana for their work on the case. Attorney General Frosh also thanked the Maryland
Department of Health’s Office of Controlled Substances Administration and the United States
Drug Enforcement Administration for their assistance with the investigation and prosecution of
the case.

These are the original charges against Nwoga:

February 14, 2019, Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today announced that Susan Iwunze Nwoga, 48, of Burtonsville, was convicted of one count of Medicaid fraud, one count of theft, and 287 counts of distribution of controlled dangerous substances. Nwoga was convicted after a 6-day bench trial in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City before the Honorable Marcus Z. Shar. Nwoga was remanded pending sentencing, which is scheduled for May 21, 2019.

According to evidence admitted at trial, beginning January 1, 2013, Nwoga submitted false
claims to the Maryland Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid) in connection with the operation
of her pharmacy, Poplar Grove Pharmacy, located at 709 Poplar Street in Baltimore.
Specifically, as Poplar Grove’s only pharmacist, Nwoga knowingly filled and distributed
fraudulent prescriptions for controlled dangerous substances, as well as other non-scheduled
drugs, and submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid. Nwoga stole over $365,000 from Medicaid.
“Ms. Nwoga purposefully and unlawfully distributed prescription drugs, contributing to the
deadly epidemic of addiction in our state and in our country,” said Attorney General Frosh. “My
office is fighting to reduce the unlawful distribution of prescription drugs, whether sold over a
pharmacist’s counter or on a street corner.”

Medicaid fraud is a felony punishable by a maximum sentence of five years’ incarceration and a
$100,000 fine. Felony theft over $100,000 is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years
incarceration and a $25,000 fine. Each count for distribution of controlled dangerous substances
is a felony punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years incarceration and a $15,000 fine or 5
years incarceration and a $15,000 fine.

In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Frosh thanked Assistant Attorneys General
Catherine Schuster Pascale and Tracee Orlove Fruman, Senior Investigator Shannon Beatty,
Senior Investigative Auditor Todd Sheffer, and paralegal Harouna Boncana of the Medicaid
Fraud Control Unit for their work on this case. Attorney General Frosh also thanked the
Maryland Department of Health Office of the Inspector General, the Office of Controlled
Substances Administration, and the Drug Enforcement Administration for assisting with this
case.

Article reprints from the Press Releases of The Office of Brian E. Frosh, Attorney General for the State of Maryland

By Aujunai Charpentiair