Pharmacists and Doctor Charged in $9.6 Million Opioid Scheme

A Detroit-area pharmacist was convicted recently in federal court on one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and four substantive counts of unlawful distribution.

According to a news report, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said Abiodun Fabode, 57, of Chesterfield Township, was convicted after a two-week trial.  The conviction, one of Michigan’s largest drug diversion schemes in history, came about 18 months after Fabode and his co-conspirators — two pharmacists, one physician and two “patient recruiters” — were first arrested.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing that between January 2015 and March 2018, Fabode, a co-owner and operator of Friendz Pharmacy in Detroit, dispensed more than 245,080 unit dosages of controlled substances without legitimate medical purpose. Fabode dispensed the opioids, including Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, in exchange for cash payments totaling more than $1.89 million, according to reports. The pills were then later resold on the street market by the pill dealers and carry a conservative estimated wholesale street value of $7 million.

In the earlier press release issued May 2018, the Department of Justice detailed the steps Fabode and four other healthcare professionals took to issue and dispense prescription opioids for supposed patients who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. Physician Deshikachar primarily prescribed oxycodone and oxymorphone. Then, the two patient recruiters, Niesheia Tibu and Andrei Tibu, would take the supposed patients to Precare Pharmacy, Global Health Pharmacy and Friendz Pharmacy, where pharmacists Amir Rafi and Fabode would dispense the drugs.

The other co-defendants — Rafi, Deshikachar, and the Tibus — all pleaded guilty to the conspiracy late last year, according to report. They are currently awaiting sentencing for their roles in this opioid drug diversion scheme in the coming months.