Two pharmacists and a street narcotics dealer have been charged in a comprehensive case against illegal drug distribution due to their involvement in the opioid epidemic in New York City. Mohamed Hassan and Yousef Ennab, both licensed pharmacists, and Anthony Mathis, a drug dealer, were sentenced to prison for their involvement in an oxycodone distribution scam. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York reported that the pharmacists were convicted in February and received prison sentences this week: Hassan for 18 years and Ennab for 30 months. Mathis was sentenced to 36 months.
These penalties came after officials discovered a complicated operation involving over 1.6 million oxycodone tablets that made their way onto the streets. The pharmacists were connected to multiple pharmacies in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, and they were filling prescriptions from a Brooklyn-based medical practice known as a “pill mill.” These 30-day quantities of oxycodone 30 mg, a strength generally reserved for patients with serious illnesses, most notably cancer, ended up in the hands of traffickers and users rather than legal patients. According to US Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr., the corrupt pharmacists who filled illegitimate oxycodone prescriptions to supply drug dealers acted out of pure greed and complete disregard for the harm they were causing.
Related posts
The investigation and following trial revealed the extent of the drug trafficking ring, including the use of stolen identities to fill prescriptions and coordination with other drug dealers, such as Mathis, who recruited individuals to pose as patients. Several law enforcement authorities described an overriding disdain for ethical practice. DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated that the pharmacists “betrayed their profession, their communities, and the public’s trust,” emphasizing the DEA’s commitment to holding individuals accountable regardless of their professional status, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Hassan, the proprietor of about 20 pharmacies operating under various names, and Ennab, the supervisory pharmacist at one of these locations, have also been compelled to pay forfeiture amounts related to the illicit operations. Mathis’s and Ennab’s payments are $535,989.12 and $13,472.76, respectively. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., of the IRS-CI New York, confirmed their punishment, stating, “Today’s sentencing was made possible with the collaborative efforts of our federal and local partners, and now each will finally see the full consequences of their criminal behavior.”
The prosecution of this case was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise, Victor Zapana, and Gilbert M. Rein, with additional assistance from former Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Nadya Osman, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian handling forfeiture matters.
