Crime & Safety

Newtown Square Man Filled 100s Of Illegal Prescriptions: Feds

A 25-year-old Newtown Square man is accused of filling fraudulent opioid prescriptions which were then sold for cash, federal officials say.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA – A Newtown Square man has been federally charged by indictment with conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including opioid painkillers, according to U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain.

According to federal officials, Anmol Singh Kamra, 25, of Newtown Square, is charged with one count of conspiring with a doctor and another individual to distribute tens of thousands of tablets of oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of federal drug law. Schedule II controlled substances have a high potential for abuse and may lead to severe psychological and physical dependence.

Kamra was a Philadelphia pharmacy employee and was charged as part of a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting those who contribute to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on medical professionals involved in the unlawful distribution of opioids and other prescription narcotics, federal officials said.

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Kamra worked at Campus Pharmacy at 4027 Market Street in Philadelphia, according to officials.

From about December 2012 through March 2016, Kamra filled hundreds of prescriptions for oxycodone knowing that the prescriptions were fraudulent, officials said.

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Frank D. Brown, charged elsewhere, frequented a doctor’s office to obtain multiple sham prescriptions for controlled substances, including oxycodone, under both his own name and the names of others, according to federal authorities. Brown paid cash for these sham prescriptions, authorities said.

In December 2012, after purchasing the sham prescriptions, Brown began going to Campus Pharmacy, where Kamra would fill these sham prescriptions in exchange for cash, according to officials.

Kamra, Brown, and the doctor used over 30 different names when filling and dispensing prescriptions at the pharmacy, federal authorities said.

After obtaining the oxycodone tablets from Kamra, Brown sold the pills on the street to drug users in exchange for cash, authorities allege.

Over time, Kamra provided oxycodone pills even when Brown failed to provide any prescription for those pills, according to officials.

"We have to do everything in our power to make sure those who contribute to the destructive and deadly opioid crisis are held accountable," said U.S. Attorney McSwain. "Too many Americans are dying. That’s why prosecuting those who traffic in opioids is a priority for the Department of Justice and for our office."

If convicted, Kamra faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a minimum of three years up to a lifetime of supervised release, a $1 million fine, and a $100 special assessment, according to authorities.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Natali.

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