https://wchstv.com/news/local/prosecutors-lincoln-county-pharmacy-involved-in-money-laundering-must-pay-restitution

Federal prosecutors said a pharmacy in Lincoln County that was involved in a conspiracy with a pain clinic that was operating a pill mill has been sentenced.

Meds2Go Express Pharmacy, Inc. (Meds2Go), a pharmacy in Alum Creek, was shut down in as part of a plea agreement in December 2019 and has now been ordered to pay $250,000 toward community restitution, according to a news release Tuesday from U.S. Attorney Mike Stewart’s Office.

Prosecutors said the money laundering conviction arose out of a conspiracy between the pharmacy and Hope Clinic, a pain clinic operating as a pill mill, to dispense compound opioids for no legitimate medical purpose and outside the bounds of professional medical practice.

The community restitution will be paid for the costs associated with drug abuse treatment in West Virginia to redress the harm caused by illicit opioid usage stemming from the sale of prescription opioids.

The West Virginia Crime Victim's Compensation Fund will receive 65% of the community restitution amount, and 35% will be paid to West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau of Behavioral Health and Health Facilities.

Meds2Go previously admitted that in 2014 and 2015 it filled prescriptions written by physicians employed by Hope Clinic, despite its knowledge that there was no legitimate medical purpose for the prescriptions and that they were prescribed outside the usual course of medical practice

Prosecutors said the pharmacy also admitted that it engaged in illegal manufacturing of its own supply of oxycodone and methadone due to supply and demand by compounding pills in mass quantities at its locations in Alum Creek and Charleston.