Former Barboursville pharmacy operator pleads guilty to federal banking crimes

Former A+ Care Pharmacy head agrees to forfeit $2.3 million, plus Lexus and Barboursville home

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Kofi Ohene Agyekum, 37, the former owner and operator of A+ Care Pharmacy in Barboursville, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to violating federal banking laws aimed at identifying criminal activity, including drug crime and terrorism.  Federal laws, including the Patriot Act, require financial institutions to report cash transactions of more than $10,000 to federal authorities.  Structuring, or dividing cash transactions into amounts less than $10,000, is a common technique used by criminals to avoid triggering the reporting requirement and detection of the underlying crimes.

At his plea hearing, Agyekum admitted that he deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash that he derived from his operation of A+ Care Pharmacy.  To avoid the federal reporting requirement, Agyekum admitted that he structured each deposit in an amount less than $10,000 and made the deposits to multiple bank accounts in various area banks, including Huntington National Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Chase Bank and First Sentry Bank.

As part of his plea agreement, Agyekum will forfeit to the United States more than $2.3 million, plus a Lexus and his home in Barboursville. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on August 3, 2015.

Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers conducted today’s plea hearing.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is responsible for the prosecution.