An indictment was unsealed today charging five individuals with conspiracy to illegally distribute prescription drug-controlled substances and related drug and money laundering offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Charged in the indictment are:
- Clara Wilkerson, 65, formerly of Bloomfield Hills
- Latanya Wallace-Hardiman, 53, of Detroit
- Dr. Luis Rodriguez, 53, currently of Orlando, FL;
- Dr. Nayantara Jnananand, 59, of Plymouth;
- Dr. Prashanti Franklin, 49, of Okemos.
“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 U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon.
Gorgon, Jr. 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.
“Medical professionals are entrusted with the responsibility of prescribing and dispensing controlled substances safely and lawfully. When they abuse that privilege for profit, they betray their patients, their communities, and the public trust. The DEA will hold accountable those who exploit their professional authority to fuel the illegal distribution of prescription medication,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon.
The indictment alleges that from 2018 through September 2024, Clara 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. Latanya Wallace-Hardiman was the owner and operator of one of the fraudulent clinics, Woodward Boulevard Medical Building located in Detroit.
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Dr. Luis Rodriguez, Dr. Nayantara Jnananand and Dr. Prashanti Franklin worked at WBMB at various times during the conspiracy and unlawfully prescribed opiates with high street value such as Oxycodone 30mg, Oxymorphone 40mg (Opana), Hydrocodone-acet (Norco), and Oxycodone-acet 10-325 (Percocet). WBMB was a fraudulent “cash-only” clinic where “patients” paid $250-$500 in cash for a “patient visit” that resulted in a prescription for requested opiate pain medications. Fraudulent “cash only” clinics refuse to accept insurance for patient visits and only charge the cash fee when the “patient” obtains the desired opiate prescription. If for some reason the “patient” was unable to fill the opiate prescription at a pharmacy, WBMB gave the patient a “credit” so they would not have to pay for their next office visit. This was a “cash for pills” scheme.
“Drug diversion schemes are driven by profit, and that money leaves a trail,” said Todd Strom, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “As alleged in the indictment, defendants used fraudulent medical clinics and financial transactions to profit from the illegal distribution of controlled substances. IRS-CI special agents are experts at unwinding complicated financial paths and exposing the financial framework that supports criminal activity. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to dismantle these schemes, get dangerous drugs off our streets, and help keep America and our communities safe.”
In an attempt to avoid detection, WBMB would ask every new patient, “Who sent you?” If the new patient could not name a trusted marketer or employee, the new patient would be rejected and told WBMB is not accepting new patients at this time.
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. During 2021-2024, doctors at WBMB issued prescriptions for over 500,000 dosage units of Schedule II controlled substances worth over $4.6 million on the street market. Doctors at another fraudulent clinic, P and A Aftercare, issued prescriptions for over 1.9 million dosage units worth over $10 million on the street market.
Defendants Wilkerson and Wallace-Hardiman are charged with a money laundering conspiracy and specific counts of money laundering resulting from the millions of dollars of cash received by the “cash only” clinics. The cash was deposited and used to promote the scheme by paying the doctors for writing the prescriptions. Other money laundering transactions related to the deposit and withdrawal of amounts exceeding $10,000 in a single transaction.
The maximum term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy and related drug offenses is 20 years' imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine on each count. The maximum term of imprisonment for the money laundering conspiracy charge and promotion money laundering against Wilkerson and Wallace-Hardiman is also 20 years' imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine on each count. If convicted, the actual sentence imposed would be decided by the judge after consideration of the Sentencing Guidelines and the individual history and background of each defendant.
The case was investigated by special agents and diversion investigators of the Drug Enforcement Administration and special agents of the Internal Revenue Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Davin Reust and Wayne F. Pratt of the Eastern District of Michigan.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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