3 doctors among 5 people accused of illegal distribution of prescription drugs

Five individuals, including three doctors, were charged Thursday with conspiracy to illegally distribute prescription drugs and related drug and money laundering offenses, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Michigan says.

The five individuals charged are: Clara Wilkerson, 65, formerly of Bloomfield Hills; Latanya Wallace-Hardiman, 53, of Detroit; Dr. Luis Rodriguez, 53, currently of Orlando, Florida; Dr. Nayantara Jnananand, 59, of Plymouth; Dr. Prashanti Franklin, 49, of Okemos.

The indictment alleges that from 2018 through September 2024, Wilkerson used her companies, CRW Worldwide, LLC and CRW Development, Inc., to recruit and pay doctors to illegally prescribe prescription drug-controlled substances at fraudulent medical clinics, according to the district attorney's office.

Wallace-Hardiman was the owner and operator of one of the fraudulent medical clinics, Woodward Boulevard Medical Building (WBMB), located in Detroit, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The district attorney's office says that Rodriguez, Jnananand and Franklin allegedly worked at WBMB at various times during the conspiracy and illegally prescribed opiates with high street value, such as Oxycodone 30mg, Oxymorphone 40mg (Opana), Hydrocodone-acet (Norco) and Oxycodone-acet 10-325 (Percocet).

According to federal authorities, WBMB was a "cash only" clinic where "patients" paid $250-$500 for a visit that resulted in getting a prescription for opioid pain medication. The clinic would allegedly refuse to accept insurance, charge a cash fee for the opiate prescription and give the "patient" credit for their next office visit if they weren't able to fill the opiate prescription at the pharmacy, federal authorities say.

To avoid detection, federal authorities say that WBMB would ask every new patient, "Who sent you?" If the patient couldn't name a trusted marketer or employee, they would be rejected and told that the clinic is not accepting new patients.

At times, patient recruiters paid their "patients" $100 or more to see the doctor. The patient recruiter also paid the $500 office fee, paid the pharmacy copay and obtained the pills, which were then sold on the street market, federal authorities say.

During 2021-2024, doctors at WBMB allegedly issued prescriptions for over 500,000 dosage units of Schedule II controlled substances worth over $4.6 million on the street market, the district attorney's office says.

Doctors at another fraudulent clinic, P & A Aftercare, issued prescriptions for over 1.9 million dosage units worth over $10 million on the street market, federal authorities say.

Wilkerson and Wallace-Hardiman are charged with a money-laundering conspiracy and specific counts of money laundering arising from the millions of dollars in cash received by the "cash only" clinics.

The cash was deposited and used to promote the scheme by paying doctors to write prescriptions, according to federal authorities. Other money-laundering transactions involved deposits and withdrawals exceeding $10,000 in a single transaction, federal authorities say.

The maximum term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy and related drug offenses is 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine on each count, or both.

The maximum term of imprisonment for the money laundering conspiracy charge and the promotion of money laundering against Wilkerson and Wallace-Hardiman is also 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine on each count or both.

If convicted, the actual sentence would be determined by the judge after considering the sentencing guidelines and each defendant's individual history and background, the district attorney's office says.

"Drug diversion schemes keep evolving as unscrupulous individuals try to sell profitable opiate prescriptions without getting caught. Not billing insurance companies will not save you from prosecution. Prescribers who work at "cash only" clinics are fueling the illegal street market. We will continue to investigate and prosecute these crimes in order to protect our citizens from the dangers of opiate drug abuse," said United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Joseph O. Dixon, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division, and Todd Strom, acting special agent in charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation.