Alvin Woody, a Mooresville, NC pharmacist, and four additional defendants from Vermont, Wisconsin, New York, and California have been indicted on drug distribution and money laundering charges.The charges are in connection with an alleged unlawful prescription drug operation which resulted in millions of dosage units of powerful and addictive controlled substances (primarily hydrocodone and alprazolam) being distributed to thousands of customers nationwide, based on unlawful and illegitimate prescriptions, according to the Federal Indictment.
The indictment states, "From in or about August 2002 to in or about May 2006, these five defendants conspired with each other and others to distribute powerful and addictive prescription painkillers and anxiety medications, all of which were Schedule III or Schedule IV controlled substances, to customers located throughout the United States based on purported prescriptions.
In fact, these “purported prescriptions” were nothing more than drug orders for prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety medications which bore a doctor’s photocopied signature but were issued based on a telephone interview with the customer that was sometimes conducted by a doctor but most often conducted by individuals with no authority or training to prescribe controlled substances.
A doctor was hired by the websites merely to lend a legitimate facade to an otherwise illegitimate operation. The drug orders for the controlled substances were then submitted by the websites via facsimile to Woody Pharmacy, a pharmacy which the websites knew would not question the legitimacy of the “purported prescription.”
MORE INFORMATION: Federal Indictment & DOJ Press Release