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Pharmacist Charged in $2M Prescription Ring
A 60-year-old pharmacist has been charged with unlawful distribution of prescription drug controlled substances, conspiracy, and unlawfully maintaining a drug-involved premises in a $2 million prescription ring in Michigan.
Hasna Bashir Iwas, the owner and operator of Beacon Pointe Pharmacy in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, was charged in a superseding indictment that adds her to earlier indictments that charged Dr. Otis Crawford and three other defendants with operating a prescription drug ring in Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park, River Rouge and elsewhere.
Dr. Crawford pled guilty to charges in the earlier indictment but died from natural causes before he could be sentenced. The indictment alleges that pharmacist Iwas filled hundreds of fraudulent prescriptions issued from Dr. Crawford’s clinic, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, Xanax and promethazine with codeine syrup, with an estimated street value of over $2 million.
In addition, it is alleged that Iwas filled over 600 forged prescriptions under the names of various doctors for a forgery ring operating in Detroit, charging cash to fill the fake prescriptions even when the “patient” had insurance.
“We will continue to hold accountable healthcare professionals who seek to enrich themselves by illegally distributing controlled substances,” stated Acting US Attorney Saima Mohsin. “Our commitment to combatting the opioid crisis is unwavering.”
Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin of the Drug Enforcement Administration added, “Dispensing controlled substances is a privilege that requires abiding by the law. DEA is committed to ensuring that those who have pledged to follow our nation’s drug laws are living up to that responsibility.”
The defendant is scheduled for her initial appearance in federal court on these charges on October 1, 2021. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Wayne F. Pratt.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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