Washingtion State – A former police officer turned online pharmacy kingpin was sentenced to 8 years in prison yesterday for running a massive pill mill that sold hundreds of thousands of pills to addicts nationwide.
Juan Gallinal, 49, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, turned a small brick and mortar drugstore into a massive online pharmacy operation, spreading addiction across the country.
Under the guise of ‘Discount Pharmacy’ and later ‘A-1 Pharmacy’, the online operation distributed drugs to some 200 customers in Washington State between 2009 and 2012. The pharmacy shipped hundreds of thousands of pills of hydrocodone, phentermine, alprazolam (Xanax) and codeine (Tylenol 4) to thousands of 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 the defendant and his co-conspirators solicited customers, including those in Washington State.
According to records in the case, the conspiracy filled prescriptions even if no valid prescription existed. At times, the conspirators simply looked for a physician in the same geographic area as the customer, with a similar sounding name, and filled the prescription using the physician’s DEA number without the physician’s knowledge.
U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes commended the Drug Enforcement Administration for their diligent work on the case that led to the shuttering of the criminal operation.
Judge Richard A. Jones noted that Gallinal was the leader who ‘drawn his co-conspirators into his web of deceit and greed… You were the orchestrator, conductor, composer and chief engineer making this engine run.’
Gallinal is the final defendant to be sentenced in the case. His co-conspirators include Craig Greer, Kevin Kogan, Jordan Truxell, Thomas Brooke, and Ali Lovins, all of whom received prison sentences ranging from 1 to 60 months.
Related Federal Cases
- Juan Gallinal Gets 8 Years for Online Pill Mill Scheme · Washington
- Gallinal and Six Others Busted in $9M Online Pharmacy Scam · Washington
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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