Thirteen individuals, including a gynecologist and two pharmacists, have received sentences for their involvement in a “pill mill” operation in the metropolitan Atlanta area.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan stated that Dr. Anthony Mills, aged 57, had been a licensed gynecologist in Georgia since 1997.
Mills did not maintain a conventional doctor-patient relationship with these individuals.
He would frequently prescribe medications without ever meeting or evaluating the individuals in question.
Some of the prescriptions he issued were in the names of deceased individuals, incarcerated individuals, or individuals whose identities had been stolen at the time he wrote the prescriptions.
In 2021, Mills came into the spotlight when Tyisha Fernandes from Channel 2 Action News visited the southwest Atlanta home where federal agents claimed he resided.
He remained silent, failing to provide an answer. According to neighbors, he relocated after authorities raided his residence.
Licensed pharmacist, Raphael Ogunsusi, RPh, 71, filled numerous illegitimate prescriptions at his pharmacies, Evansmill Pharmacy and Retox Pharmacy. These pharmacies are located in Stonecrest and Conyers.
According to Buchanan, Ogunsusi willingly received significant cash payments in exchange for filling prescriptions, despite being fully aware of their illegality.
He would significantly inflate the prices for the illicit prescriptions – charging as high as $900 to fulfill a single oxycodone prescription and $500 for a single Percocet prescription.
Ogunsusi insisted that individuals obtaining illegal prescriptions also purchase a range of non-controlled substances known as the “Shebang.”
He wanted to maximize his profits and hide the fact that the majority of his customers were only interested in filling prescriptions for controlled substances at his pharmacies.
Ogunsusi directed his pharmacy staff, including another licensed pharmacist, to fill the unlawful prescriptions.
Ten individuals who filled prescriptions and then sold them to drug users were also sentenced, along with Mills, Ogunsusi, and the other pharmacist.
Mills, a resident of Atlanta, admitted guilt to conspiring to distribute and dispense prescription controlled substances. As a result, they received a prison sentence of 11 years along with three years of supervised release.
Ogunsusi, a resident of Conyers, admitted to conspiring to dispense and distribute prescription controlled substances and engaging in money laundering. As a result, he has been sentenced to nine years and seven months in prison, with an additional one year of supervised release.
Moses Kirigwi, a 32-year-old pharmacist from Atlanta, admitted to using a telephone to unlawfully dispense and distribute prescription controlled substances. As a result, he has been sentenced to 90 days in prison and one year of supervised release, with the initial three months to be served in home detention.
Thomika Riley, a 50-year-old resident of McDonough, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to dispense and distribute prescription controlled substances. As a result, she has been sentenced to six years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Brittany Tinker, a 30-year-old resident of Stonecrest, has admitted guilt to the charge of conspiracy to dispense and distribute prescription controlled substances. As a result, she has been handed a prison sentence of six years and six months, along with three years of supervised release.
Natalie Jackson, aged 40 and residing in East Point, has admitted to conspiring to dispense and distribute prescription controlled substances. As a result, she has been handed a prison sentence of four years and three months, along with two years of supervised release.
Rogerick Smith, a 46-year-old resident of Atlanta, admitted his guilt in a case involving the conspiracy to distribute prescription controlled substances. As a result, he was handed a sentence of seven years and eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Jeana Alston, a 43-year-old resident of Atlanta, has admitted her involvement in a conspiracy to dispense and distribute prescription controlled substances. Consequently, she has been handed a sentence of three years and one month in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
Javon Hamilton, a 34-year-old resident of Bluffton, South Carolina, has admitted to conspiring to dispense and distribute prescription controlled substances. As a result, he has been handed a prison sentence of nine years and two months, along with three years of supervised release.
Travious Polain, a 33-year-old resident of Decatur, admitted his guilt in a case involving the conspiracy to distribute and dispense prescription controlled substances. As a result, he has been handed a prison sentence of five years and ten months, along with three years of supervised release.
According to Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, it is important to recognize that pharmaceutical products distributed for non-medical purposes can be just as dangerous as illicit drugs. Murphy emphasizes that Dr. Mills, who distributed large quantities of pharmaceutical products, showed a complete disregard for human life. Murphy firmly states that the moment Dr. Mills chose to unlawfully distribute drugs, he transformed into nothing more than a drug trafficker.
