News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 10, 2011
Contact: Mike Cannon, PIO
Number: 215-861-3436

Physician and Pharmacist Among Those Arrested in Drug Conspiracy and Health Care Fraud Case

AUG 10 – PHILADELPHIA - A 498-count indictment was unsealed today charging 53 defendants, including a Montgomery County physician and a Northeast Philadelphia pharmacist, in a multi-million dollar drug conspiracy involving phony prescriptions, phony patients, and an alleged drug trafficking organization. The indictment was announced by United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Zane David Memeger, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent-in-Charge John J. Bryfonski of the Philadelphia Division, Department of Health and Human Services Special Agent-in-Charge Nick DiGiulio, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge George C. Venizelos. In addition to charges of drug possession and drug distribution, the indictment contains 240 counts of health care fraud. Agents from multiple federal and local agencies arrested defendants this morning.

Included in the indictment are Dr. Norman Werther of Horsham, Pennsylvania, pharmacist Ihsanullah Sean Maaf of Northeast Pharmacy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and alleged drug trafficker William Stukes, also of Philadelphia. According to the indictment, Stukes and his alleged drug trafficking organization recruited large numbers of pseudo patients and then transported them to Dr. Werther s medical office for fake examinations. These patients paid an office visit fee, usually $150, to the office staff and Werther would write prescriptions for those patients to obtain oxycodone-based drugs without there being a medical need for the prescription. The patients were then driven to various pharmacies to have their prescriptions filled, including Northeast Pharmacy where Maaf would fill the prescription. The drugs were then turned over to Stukes or his drivers. Stukes and his organization would allegedly sell the narcotics to numerous drug dealers, who are also named in the indictment, who would also then resell the drugs on the street. It is estimated that between September 2009 and July 2011, the Stukes drug trafficking organization earned more than $5 million through these illegal prescriptions and that the defendants unlawfully acquired and distributed over 200,000 pills containing oxycodone.

“Doctors and pharmacists are trained to help real patients suffering from actual medical conditions, not drug trafficking organizations,â€