DOJ cracks down on Internet pharmacy

Six men face charges of illegally distributing drugs
through an Internet pharmacy, and the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking forfeiture
of more than US$40 million in profit from the operation.

The men, from the U.S. and Puerto Rico, were indicted Thursday in U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of Iowa in Cedar Rapids, according to the DOJ.

Facing charges in the 31-count indictment are Orlando Birbraghyer, 50, of Miami;
Marshall Neil Kanner, 52, of Miami Beach, Florida.; Jack Eugene Huzl, 69, formerly
of Dubuque, Iowa; Douglas Willis Bouchey, 53, formerly of Dubuque; Armando Angulo,
55, formerly of Miami; and Peter Lopez, 53, formerly of Puerto Rico.

The men, allegedly connected with BuyMeds.com, were charged with conspiring
to illegally distribute more than 12 million narcotic pain pills and other controlled-substance
medications through more than 246,000 prescriptions. They also face charges
of maintaining a drug-involved premises and employing minors in a drug offense,
the DOJ said in a news release.

The BuyMeds.com site was down Friday morning.

The defendants were also charged with conspiring to launder money from the
alleged Internet drug conspiracy. Huzl, Bouchey, Angulo and Lopez are charged
in separate counts with illegal distributions of controlled medications, the
DOJ said. Huzl is charged with making two illegal distributions of controlled
medications to a minor.

Birbraghyer and Kanner operated BuyMeds.com, which allowed customers to illegally
purchase controlled medications, according to the indictment. They allegedly
contracted with doctors and pharmacies across the U.S., including a Dubuque
pharmacy, for the processing of drug orders placed through the Web site.

Huzl and Bouchey were among the contracting pharmacists who filled orders for
BuyMeds.com, the indictment said. Angulo and Lopez are alleged to be doctors
who contracted with BuyMeds.com to authorize the prescription orders placed
by BuyMeds.com customers.

The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned in the Iowa court Nov. 16.