A Michigan pharmacist was sentenced to a three-year jail stint for illegally hawking millions in cough syrup to drug dealers, per the U.S. Department of Justice. Zaman Alshafey, who ran Medpro Pharmacy in Livonia, confessed to wire fraud and money laundering charges, according to the Department of Justice press release.
The justice department claimed Alshafey ordered in excess of $2.5 million worth of promethazine cough syrup—often concocted into "Lean" or "Purple Drink" on the streets—from out-of-state wholesalers. He then turned to illegally sell the controlled substance, bypassing the necessary prescription requirements. Alshafey was caught after to wire transfer funds illicitly obtained from the sale, back to the wholesalers, as reported by the CBS Detroit.
On top of his prison sentence, Alshafey is mandated to forfeit about $9 million, the estimated gross profits from his illegal venture. "A pharmacist violates the public’s trust by unlawfully dispensing any drug, including promethazine cough syrup," U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison emphasized in a statement obtained by NewsBreak.
The case also shed light on the risks associated with such contraband. "Providing misbranded prescription drugs puts all consumers' health at risk," remarked Ronne Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office Special Agent in Charge, as stated by U.S Attorney's Office. The investigation was led by the FDA, with Assistant United States Attorney Regina R. McCullough prosecuting, and Assistant United States Attorney Gjon Juncaj dealing with the forfeiture matters.
