DALLAS — In a gritty blow to the illegal drug trade, licensed pharmacist Kumi Frimpong was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for his role in a ‘pill mill’ operation that distributed thousands of oxycodone pills.
Frimpong, 57, who owned and operated Cornerstone Pharmacy in Desoto, Texas, faced the stiff sentence after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to illegally distribute oxycodone. The charges stem from his involvement in a scheme that began in January 2013 and continued through July 2014.
“Diverted prescription pain pills kill more people in this country than heroin, while simultaneously fueling demand for heroin itself,” said U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. “Those who divert legitimate drugs to illicit purposes are no better than any other drug trafficker.”
Frimpong admitted that he and his co-conspirators distributed at least 40,000 30mg oxycodone pills in Dallas and elsewhere. He dispensed these based on prescriptions issued by Dr. Richard Andrews of McAllen Medical Clinic. Both Frimpong and Kigham surrendered their DEA registration numbers and stock of controlled substances following their arrests in January 2016.
Twenty-four individuals were indicted in February 2015 for participating in the prescription drug distribution conspiracy, which involved using homeless or impoverished individuals to obtain prescriptions at clinics like McAllen Medical Clinic. By December 2015, a total of 31 individuals had been charged, with all defendants pleading guilty.
This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation was conducted by various law enforcement agencies, including the DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation, and multiple state and local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters led the prosecution against Frimpong.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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