US-based Nigerian pharmacist to face up to 20 years in prison for illegally dispensing over 300,000 high-dose of oxyc@done medication to customers

A Nigerian-born pharmacist, Olushola Yusuf, has been convicted by a federal jury in the United States for illegally dispensing more than 300,000 high-dose oxyc@done p+lls to customers who had no legitimate medical need for the powerful opi@id.

According to U.S. court documents, the 60-year-old, who owned Boots LLC d/b/a Striderite in Margate and Chans Pharmacy Plus in Pembroke Pines, Florida, dispensed at least 326,079 oxyc@done 30mg p+lls during the conspiracy. Prosecutors said she charged customers about 10 times the normal price and accepted only cash payments.

Authorities revealed that some customers travelled long distances because they could not obtain prescriptions elsewhere, while others allegedly paid up to $1,300 monthly for the dr¥gs. Investigators also said some customers were dr¥g dealers who collected p+lls on behalf of dozens of people who were not present.

The court heard that Yusuf kept the pharmacy doors locked during business hours, allowing entry only to selected customers, and continued the operation despite repeated warnings from her employees and the U.S. dr¥g Enforcement Administration (DEA).

“The defendant abused the public trust by using her pharmacies to unlawfully distribute deadly opi@ids,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald. “This conviction sends an unmistakable message: whether you deal dr¥gs on a street corner or from behind a pharmacy counter, the Fraud Division will hold you fully accountable under the law.”

DEA Chief of Operations Matthew W. Allen said Yusuf “abandoned” her professional responsibility by “dispensing hundreds of thousands of oxyc@done p+lls to virtually anyone willing to pay inflated cash prices.”

The jury found Yusuf guilty of conspiracy to illegally distribute dr¥gs and five counts of illegal dr¥g distribution. She faces up to 20 years in prison on each count, with sentencing scheduled for October 14. Her co-defendant, Saman Gimenez, had earlier pleaded guilty and is due to be sentenced in October.