Jacksonville pharmacist faces drug distribution, tax fraud charges

FLORIDA—A Jacksonville pharmacist has been charged with drug distribution and tax offenses, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO) has announced.

On Friday, United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of an indictment charging Alan O. Abidogun with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and three counts of filing false tax returns.

If convicted, Mr Abidogun faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the drug offense and up to three years imprisonment for each of the tax offenses.

According to the indictment, from 2017 through December 2019, Abidogun conspired with others to distribute and dispense oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, without a legitimate medical purpose. The activity reportedly involved the filling of prescriptions that were not issued for a valid medical reason or in the usual course of professional practice, the USAO said.

In addition to the drug-related offense, Mr Abidogun is also charged with filing false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns for the same years (2017 through 2019). The indictment asserts that he failed to report additional income derived from his pharmacy business.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Group, Tactical Diversion Squad, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.