FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885
October 10, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOUR DEFENDANTS INDICTED FOR CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE OVER 8 MILLION DOSAGE UNITS OF HYDROCODONE AND TO LAUNDER MONEY
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury has indicted the following defendants for conspiring to distribute, outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, at least eight million dosage units of hydrocodone and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with the distribution of hydrocodone, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein:
Steven Abiodun Sodipo, age 50, of Forest Hill, Maryland;
Callixtus Onigbo Nwaehiri, age 48, of Jarrettsville, Maryland;
Ahmed Alhaji Abdulrazaaq, age 48, of Forest Hill, Maryland; and
Nannette C. Patterson, age 48, of Baltimore, Maryland.
The indictment was returned on October 4, 2006 and unsealed today after the arrests of the defendants.
All four defendants are employed at Newcare Pharmacy, also known as Newcare Home Health Services, located in the 3400 block of Sinclair Lane, Baltimore. Hydrocodone is a schedule III, opioid that is prescribed as a cough suppressant and for the treatment of moderate to moderately severe pain. According to the DEA, more than 6 million Americans abuse prescription drugs – more than those who abuse cocaine, heroin, inhalants, and hallucinogens combined.
The two-count indictment seeks forfeiture of $20 million, the amount of gross proceeds received from the illegal sale of eight million dosage units of hydrocodone from January 2005 to October, 2006. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of property known as Newcare Pharmacy, and Newcare Home Health Services, Inc., located on Sinclair Lane, Baltimore; and the homes, bank accounts and motor vehicles of some of the defendants.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for the drug conspiracy and 20 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for the money laundering conspiracy. The defendants are expected to have their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Baltimore this afternoon.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General; and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. Mr. Rosenstein also thanked the Baltimore City Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland Department of Drug Control and The State of Maryland Pharmacy Board for their assistance and commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Smith and Jennifer Wright, who are prosecuting the case.
This page last modified—October 10, 2006