LOS ANGELES – A brazen scheme to flood the streets with illegally obtained narcotics using stolen doctor’s identities has landed a Maryland man in federal custody. Benjamin Jamal Washington, 25, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a trifecta of federal charges stemming from a sophisticated operation that defrauded pharmacies and exploited the medical system for profit.
According to court documents, Washington and his accomplices spent nearly three years – from September 2020 to May 2023 – systematically stealing the personal identifying information (PII) of dozens of medical doctors. This wasn’t just names and addresses; the crew targeted crucial data like National Provider Identification numbers and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Registration Numbers, the very keys to legally prescribing controlled substances.
The operation went beyond simple data theft. The crew manufactured fake drivers’ licenses in the doctors’ names, bolstering the illusion of legitimacy. They also allegedly bribed employees at telephone companies to perform illegal SIM swaps, hijacking the doctors’ phone numbers and further cementing their control over the fraudulent accounts. One co-conspirator even scouted pharmacy practices to learn how legitimate e-prescriptions were submitted, aiming to mimic the process and evade detection.
The result? At least 5,600 fraudulent prescriptions for powerful controlled substances, including oxycodone and promethazine with codeine, were submitted through these hijacked accounts. Washington and his crew then fanned out across the country, hitting pharmacies – including those in the Los Angeles area – to pick up the illegally obtained drugs and resell them for a hefty profit. It was a calculated, nationwide operation built on stolen identities and fueled by the opioid crisis.
Washington pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for January 13, 2026. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of 42 years in federal prison, with a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence tacked on for the aggravated identity theft charge.
The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello, Elizabeth S.P. Douglas, and Matthew J. Tako are prosecuting the case. This conviction sends a clear message: exploiting the medical system and endangering public health for financial gain will be met with the full force of federal law.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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