A federal jury in Brooklyn on Wednesday found licensed pharmacists Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan guilty of conspiracy to dispense and distribute oxycodone, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute the drug. The verdict came after a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Ann M. Donnelly.
The two pharmacists, both Brooklyn residents, face up to 60 years in prison when sentenced, according to a press release.
Hassan and Ennab operated a scheme that used fraudulent medical prescriptions to illegally obtain and distribute oxycodone across New York City. Hassan owned multiple pharmacies in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island under names including Nile RX, Downtown RX and Forest Care. Ennab worked as the supervising pharmacist at Forest Care.
The scheme funneled more than 1.2 million oxycodone pills—valued at more than $36 million on the street—through pharmacies controlled by Hassan. Prosecutors said prescriptions were often issued to patients who had never been examined or whose identities had been stolen. Ennab and Hassan conspired with drug dealers to distribute the pills and took cash payments in exchange. Insurance companies were also billed fraudulently for the prescriptions.
“The defendants abused their access to oxycodone and violated the trust placed in them as pharmacists by illegally agreeing to supply drug dealers with tens of thousands of pills to sell on the streets of our district with zero regard for the immense harm this dangerously addictive narcotic has caused,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Pharmacists have a responsibility to prevent the illegal flow of drugs from their businesses, but these defendants only cared about lining their pockets with cash."
Authorities said video footage showed Ennab accepting a cash payment from convicted drug dealer Michael Kent while handing over multiple oxycodone prescriptions for sham patients.
Eight co-defendants, including five individuals from Brooklyn, also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
