MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – A Madison Heights pharmacist was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison based on his convictions for conspiring to distribute over 25,000 opioid pills and money laundering.
Great Health Pharmacy in Madison Heights is where Yousef Kosho, 44, engaged in a scheme and pattern of illegal conduct involving the unlawful distribution of prescription drugs.
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Kosho specifically distributed prescription drugs from the pharmacy illegally, outside the course of usual professional pharmacy practice, and for no legitimate medical purpose, per court documents.
The 44-year-old would unlawfully dispense controlled substances by filling prescriptions for patient recruiters, including co-defendant Omar Madison upon receiving cash payments.
Kosho would dispense prescriptions in the names of patients who never frequented the pharmacy.
Madison would provide prescriptions to Kosho for dispensing without bringing the patient to the pharmacy. Other times the 44-year-old would sell the entire pharmacy bottles of controlled substances to Madison and others without any medical prescriptions.
“This pharmacist was spreading poison in our community instead of dispensing medicine and providing sound medical advice,” said United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “My office will continue to investigate and prosecute medical professionals who abuse their licenses by selling drugs to satisfy their greed.”
Kosho pled guilty to unlawfully dispensing 25,253 dosage units of scheduled II controlled substances, including Oxycodone HCI, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen, Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, and more than 200,000 milliliters of schedule V controlled substances, promethazine with codeine.
“Irresponsible and criminal behavior by trusted medical professionals will absolutely not be tolerated,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. “Mr. Kosho will now face the consequences of his unlawful acts. This case is a perfect example of what can be achieved when DEA and our law enforcement partners work collaboratively,”
Madison pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and was sentenced on Tuesday (Feb. 7) to 72 months in federal prison.
“Our communities rely on our pharmacies to relieve suffering and not contribute to harmful addictions,” said Charles Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge Detroit Field Office, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. “Today’s sentence highlights the seriousness of Kohso’s conduct. IRS-CI will remain vigilant in working with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate those seeking to intensify opioid addiction in our society.”