Fraud tagged interest

A federal jury in the Southern District of Texas convicted a Texas pharmacy owner yesterday for unlawfully distributing controlled substances and laundering money from his now-shuttered pharmacies.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Clint Carr, 32, of Cypress, co-owned and operated CC Pharmacy in Houston, and CC Pharmacy 2 and CC Pharmacy 3 in the Austin area with co-conspirator Dustin Curry. In just 18 months, Carr, Curry and their co-conspirators unlawfully distributed over 1.5 million dosage units of controlled substances, including over 1.1 million pills of oxycodone and hydrocodone. Trial evidence showed that CC Pharmacy unlawfully dispensed controlled substances — mostly oxycodone and hydrocodone — in bulk for cash, based on mostly forged or stolen prescriptions brought in by drug couriers posing as staff of long-term care facilities. CC Pharmacy brought in over $5.5 million from the unlawful sale of these controlled substances, cash proceeds which Carr and his co-conspirators structured to avoid reporting requirements. Evidence at trial showed that Carr used these drug proceeds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including the down payment on a $100,000 Ford pickup truck.

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“Carr’s conviction is a reminder that the Department of Justice will hold accountable those who have helped fuel the country’s opioid epidemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This includes pharmacy owners who have effectively poisoned our communities.”

“This case is another example of the DEA’s continued commitment to combat our nation’s opioid crisis to reduce the diversion of controlled substances that drives drug overdose deaths and violent crime in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Houston Division. “This conviction is a credit to the tireless work of our investigators and prosecutors to make our communities safer.” 

Carr was convicted of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances, four counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. He faces a maximum total penalty of up to 140 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for May 27.

To date, five other co-conspirators, including Curry, have pleaded guilty to unlawfully distributing controlled substances.

DEA Houston, including the DEA Austin Resident Office, investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Devon Helfmeyer and Courtney Chester of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristine Rollinson of the Southern District of Texas is handling forfeiture.