Suspected Prescription Forgery Ring Busted
Members of the Ventura County Interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit said a five month investigation led to 13 arrests linked to hundreds of forged prescriptions used to buy HIV medications.
Camarillo police said the investigation started in April when a Camarillo pharmacy reported a forgery in progress.
Kanard Mobley is suspected of making his own prescriptions and using unsuspecting doctors’ names on the prescription pad forms.
Investigators said he also used Medi-Cal insurance numbers from friends and family that allowed him to fill the prescriptions at no cost.
Detectives arrested all three and continued to investigation people suspected of buying the HIV drugs from the trio.
Officers served search warrants on Robert Blue, Felix Giovani, and Anthony Dunlap’s homes in Compton and Los Angeles. Police said they found guns, 13,000 pill and as individuals to whom Mobley was selling the illegally acquired medication. Search warrants were served at Blue, Giovani, and Dunlaps’ residences in Compton and Los Angeles. Two guns and approximately 13,000 pills.
They also found suspect Samuel Lloyd and Gemmel Moore during the search and arrested them for possession of methamphetamine.
Further Investigation into the HIV medications led them to a smoke shop in Los Angeles at 15031 Ventura Blvd, where investigators think the medication was being fenced.
On Thursday, Sept. 17, detectives said they recovered a handgun and another 9,000 pills at the shop.
They arrested Karapet Mnatsakanyan, Hayrapet Amirkhanyan, Alfred Bersegyan, and Grigor Nersisyan on suspicion of conspiracy to commit forgery and sales of dangerous drugs.
Their bail was set at $500,000.00.
Mobley already pleaded guilty to forgery and is serving three years in county jail.
Fletcher pleaded guilty to forgery and is awaiting sentencing.
The seized drugs are valued at about $1,000,000.00. million dollars. Investigators said Mobley never meant to be used the HIV medication. They suspect he meant to sell it back to pharmacies who would buy the drugsillegally off the street for resale at a greater profit.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Simi Valley Police Department, Thousand Oaks Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol, and the Health Quality Investigation Unit of the California Division of Investigation took part in the bust.
The task force’s goal is to combat prescription drugs sold illegally and to stop new trends of abuse among the younger people that often lead to overdose deaths.
Anyone with information regarding criminal prescription drug related activity may contact pharm.tip@ventura.org or called in to (805) 383-8700.
