Related Federal Cases
- Juan Gallinal Gets 8 Years for Online Pill Mill Scheme · Washington
- Napoleon Robinson Sentenced for $500K Tax Evasion Scheme · New York
- Florida Man Sentenced for ID Theft, Home Fraud Scheme · North Carolina
- 23andMe Faces Legal Fire for Genetic Data Sale · Washington
- Live Nation Faces Trial Over Monopoly Practices · Washington
Nurse Sentenced to 3 Years for Online Pharmacy Scheme
A registered nurse from Florida has become the first person to be sentenced to prison in connection with the illegal operation of an online pharmacy that distributed narcotics across the country. Ali Lovins, 44, of Cooper City, Florida, was the office manager for Discount Pharmacy and pleaded guilty in April 2015 to four felony counts: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances by means of the internet; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; conspiracy to launder money; and conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.
On Tuesday, Lovins was sentenced to three years in prison, three years of supervised release, 200 hours of community service, and will forfeit $313,360 in drug proceeds. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted that Lovins was part of a conspiracy that distributed more than a million tablets of narcotic drugs, but also acknowledged that she did not have to deal with the risks associated with street-level drug trafficking.
“As a registered nurse, this defendant played a key role in the scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “She lied about the online business in order to keep the drugs flowing. As a nurse, she knew the drugs she was selling were feeding addictions, destroying families and contributing to the opioid epidemic we are dealing with today.”
The internet pharmacy distributed drugs to some 200 customers in Washington State between 2009 and 2012, shipping hundreds of thousands of pills of hydrocodone, phentermine, alprazolam (Xanax) and codeine (Tylenol 4) to people across the country who did not have valid prescriptions for the narcotics. The conspiracy brought in more than $9 million in revenue from the sale of pills during the three-year scheme.
The pharmacy operated four internet sites through which they solicited customers and allowed customers in Washington State to order drugs. The conspirators laundered the proceeds of their sales through a brick-and-mortar pharmacy in Florida called Discount Pharmacy of Pines. In June 2012, the DEA seized the conspiracy’s websites, computers, and drug inventory.
All but one of the defendants who were indicted in May 2014 have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. JUAN GALLINAL, 48, the originator of the scheme, is a former police officer from Virginia and is scheduled for sentencing in October 2016. JORDAN TRUXELL, 26, and THOMAS BROOKE, 54, are also awaiting sentencing, as well as CRAIG GREER, 43, a former police officer, and KEVIN KOGAN, 48, who set up the websites and servers for the online pharmacy.
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
