Two pharmacists have been convicted in Brooklyn Federal Court on Wednesday for illegally distributing oxycodone through pharmacies across the five boroughs, including one in West Brighton.
According to court documents, Yousef Ennab, 27, and Mohamed Hassan, 34, both residents of Brooklyn, have been found guilty on charges of conspiring to dispense and distribute oxycodone, as well as distributing and possessing oxycodone with the intent to distribute it, following a three-week trial.
According to prosecutors, the two licensed pharmacists were allegedly involved in a significant operation that utilized illicit medical prescriptions to acquire oxycodone for distribution in various areas of the city. It is claimed that Hassan, who had ownership interests in over a dozen pharmacies across Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, conducted business under different names such as Nile RX, Nile Ridge, Nile City, Sunset Corner, Prospect Care, Downtown RX, and Forest Care.
Ennab held the position of supervising pharmacist at Forest Care Pharmacy, which is situated at 723 Forest Ave, as per court documents.
Prosecutors claim that the alleged scheme involved the receptionist of a Brooklyn medical practice writing illegally issued prescriptions for 30-day supplies of oxycodone 30 mg pills. This medical practice was operating as a “pill mill” and the resident doctor had never examined the patients. These high-strength opioid painkillers are typically prescribed to cancer patients.
Prosecutors have also alleged that in certain cases, the prescriptions were made for individuals whose identities had been stolen, and these individuals were not even patients of the practice.
Hassan purportedly controlled the pharmacies where Ennab worked, and it is alleged that they collaborated with drug dealers. These dealers would collect the prescriptions from the pharmacies and provide cash payments to Hassan and Ennab. Subsequently, the pair would allegedly submit insurance claims for the pills. This information was revealed by prosecutors.
“The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John J. Durham, expressed his strong condemnation of the defendants’ actions, stating that they had misused their authority as pharmacists and breached the trust placed in them. By unlawfully agreeing to provide drug dealers with large quantities of oxycodone, they exhibited a complete disregard for the devastating consequences this highly addictive narcotic has had on our district’s streets.”
The speaker emphasized the duty of pharmacists to prevent the illicit distribution of drugs and condemned the defendants for prioritizing personal financial gain. He stated that the verdict delivered today would serve as a reminder that there are consequences for engaging in criminal behavior that contributes to the opioid epidemic.
Ennab was caught on video receiving a cash payment from one of the dealers, Michael Kent, in exchange for multiple prescriptions of oxycodone.
According to court documents, the scheme allegedly led to the illicit distribution of over 1.2 million pills of oxycodone, which had a retail street value of more than $36 million.
“Whether illegal drug transactions occur on a street corner or in brick-and-mortar pharmacies masquerading as legitimate businesses, the pushers are fueling addiction,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
“While the full extent of the harm is unquantifiable, the guilty verdicts send a clear message that wherever you illegally distribute drugs, your operation will be shut down and you will go to jail,” she said.
Dr. Somsri Ratanaprasatporn, her receptionist Leticia Smith, and pharmacists Bassam Amin and Omar Elsayed, along with six other co-defendants, have all pleaded guilty and are currently awaiting sentencing. Michael Kent, another co-defendant, has already pleaded guilty and received a nine-year prison sentence.
“We are deeply disappointed in the verdict,‘’ Hassan’s attorney Vinoo Varghese told the Advance/SILive.com. ”Mr. Hassan is innocent and was convicted by a jury with almost no evidence against him other than the words of two cooperators who were trying to keep themselves from life sentences and could offer nothing more of his involvement except that ‘he knew.’”
“Unlike these government witnesses, Mr. Hassan wasn’t on any wiretapped call, there were no text messages between him and the perpetrators of this scheme, and there were no videos of any interactions between him and the street dealers. Unlike some of the pharmacists convicted, he received no cash from anyone.”
“Mr. Hassan is a very well-respected member of his community, a deeply devoted family man, and a patriotic American. Sadly, the jury system failed him, and he will have to wait longer to clear his name through the appellate process.”
Ennab and Hassan could potentially face a maximum of 60 years in prison each once they are sentenced.
