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A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida has convicted a licensed pharmacist and pharmacy owner for illegally dispensing over 300,000 high-dose oxycodone pills to individuals without a medical need.
Olushola Yusuf, 60, of Tampa, was found guilty of conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and five counts of illegal drug distribution. Federal prosecutors presented evidence at trial showing that Yusuf dispensed 335,351 pills of 30mg oxycodone—the maximum available strength—to nearly all of her customers.
Yusuf operated two South Florida businesses: Boots LLC, doing business as Striderite, located in Margate, and Chans Pharmacy Plus, Inc., located in Pembroke Pines. According to court records, customers traveled from across the state to obtain prescriptions at these locations after being turned away by other pharmacies. Some individuals paid up to $1,000 per month in cash, with Yusuf charging approximately ten times the standard market cost for the medication.
Trial testimony revealed that some recipients were drug dealers purchasing pills on behalf of dozens of absent individuals. Witnesses also testified that Yusuf kept her pharmacy doors locked during normal business hours, instructing staff to admit only specific clients. The court heard that Yusuf maintained these practices despite receiving warnings regarding her operations from her own employees and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“The defendant abused the public trust by using her pharmacies to unlawfully distribute deadly opioids,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This conviction sends an unmistakable message: whether you deal drugs on a street corner or from behind a pharmacy counter, the Fraud Division will hold you fully accountable under the law.”
“Olushola Yusuf did not simply ignore red flags. She built her business around them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “She knowingly flooded South Florida communities with more than 335,000 high-dose oxycodone pills, even after her employees and the DEA warned her about the dangers of her conduct.”
Several federal agencies participated in the joint investigation, including the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
“Pharmacists occupy a position of public trust and serve as a critical safeguard against the diversion of controlled substances,” said DEA Chief of Operations Matthew W. Allen. “By dispensing hundreds of thousands of oxycodone pills to virtually anyone willing to pay inflated cash prices, the defendant abandoned that responsibility, exploited addiction, and endangered lives for personal profit.”
“The opioid epidemic continues to plague our nation, which is why the FBI, along with our partners, will continue to hold the criminals poisoning our communities with these drugs accountable,” said FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia.
Additionally, evidence indicated the operation involved fraudulent health program claims. “The defendant bought patient data and used it to generate sham medical orders, targeting seniors and people with disabilities for exploitation,” said Miranda L. Bennett, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations at the HHS-OIG.
Co-defendant Saman Gimenez previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and is scheduled for sentencing later this year. Yusuf faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the six counts. Her sentencing hearing is set for October 14, 2026, where a federal district judge will determine the sentence based on statutory factors and federal guidelines. Trial Attorney Angela Benoit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian handled the prosecution.
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Florida Pharmacist Convicted In Federal Court Over Illegal Opioid Distribution Scheme
