Second New Jersey Pharmacist Sentenced To Prison In Less Than A Week
CAMDEN, N.J. - Valerie A. Nickerson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, and Carig Carpenito, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced a second Burlington County, New Jersey, pharmacist was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for his role in a long-running conspiracy to illegally distribute and dispense large quantities of oxycodone.
David Goldfield, 60, of Medford Lakes, New Jersey was employed by Michael Ludwikowski, 46, of Medford, at Olde Medford Pharmacy and Medford Family Pharmacy. Goldfield admitted that from January 2010 through August 2013, he conspired with Ludwikowski to distribute and dispense oxycodone for individuals they knew were obtaining the pain killers for resale or for non-medical use.
Goldfield admitted, based upon his training and experience, as well as the “red flags” he observed, it was obvious that many of the oxycodone prescriptions that he and Ludwikowski filled were fraudulent. These red flags included prescriptions for oxycodone that appeared to have been “washed” or “bleached.” According to the indictment, this was achieved through a chemical process that removed the original writing for a non-narcotic substance. The customers then rewrote the prescriptions for their drug of choice, including oxycodone.
Other red flags included customers who were believed to be drug addicts, or believed to be selling or abusing the oxycodone; customers seeking oxycodone with residential addresses far from the Medford area, and presenting oxycodone prescriptions for a 30-day supply multiple times a week.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Simandle sentenced Goldfield to three years of supervised release and fined him $4,900.
Ludwikowski was sentenced April 12, 2018, to 15 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited diversion investigators of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Camden Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson; special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley W. Cohen; the Medford Police Department under the direction of Chief Richard J. Meder; the Moorestown Police Department under the direction of Chief Lee R. Lieber; the Florence Police Department under the direction of Chief John Bunce; and the Lumberton Police Department under the direction of Chief Tony Diloreto, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
