A former pharmacy technician sentenced this week to three years in federal prison took advantage of his medical insider status to siphon off serious pain meds for the street. Curtis Green, a 35-year-old from Cleveland, used his access to drugs as a certified pharmacy technician to distribute controlled substances illegally.
In the court documents released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Green was employed by a hospital in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, where from Dec. 30, 2022, to April 9, 2023, he ordered quantities of oxycodone and fentanyl, drugs classified as schedule II controlled substances, Green didn't order these substances for hospital use, but rather for his unlawful distribution network, hiding behind the facade of hospital needs.
Upon investigation and during a search warrant execution at Green's residence on April 9, 2023, authorities found a stockpile of drugs and a large sum of money, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration along with the help of the Mayfield Heights Police Department, confiscated 103 grams of oxycodone and 77.5 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, as well after finding $72,880 in cash at his home and seizing an additional $2,025 from Green the following day.
As admitted in court statements, Green's operation was brought to a halt thanks to the combined efforts of federal and local law enforcement, leading to the sentencing handed down by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent, Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Sweeney prosecuted this case, which underscores the ongoing battle against the misuse of prescription drugs the DEA and police departments work relentlessly on, trying to stem the tide of a worsening opioid crisis that continues to disrupt countless lives across the nation.
