U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV | U.S. Department of Justice
Richard Rogers Jr., 33, and Chad Wolf, 27, were sentenced on Friday by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves to 44 months and 39 months, respectively, for conspiracy to acquire and possess codeine and aggravated identity theft. Rogers and Wolf were also each ordered to forfeit $57,336 – the amount of their illegal codeine resale profits.
According to their plea agreements, Rogers and Wolf conspired over multiple years in submitting numerous fraudulent prescriptions for Promethazine-Codeine syrup to pharmacies in various Kentucky locations. Neither Rogers nor Wolf had valid prescriptions for codeine cough syrup in their own name. Instead, they acquired identity information from unsuspecting individuals – often in the form of driver’s licenses. They also obtained DEA numbers of medical providers from others, including physicians in Michigan and Kentucky, without authorization or consent. This information was used to create fraudulent prescriptions for codeine cough syrup and organized others to retrieve the prescriptions as they were filled.
Under federal law, Rogers and Wolf must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year.
Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge at the DEA Louisville Field Division jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Moynahan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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