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St. Petersburg pharmacist pleads guilty to Oxy Alley charge

By Palm Beach Business.com

WEST PALM BEACH — A St. Petersburg pharmaceutical wholesaler on Monday became the 28th defendant to plead guilty to federal charges stemming from a massive pill mill operation in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Steven Goodman, 67, of St. Petersburg pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to defraud the Drug Enforcement Agency.  Goodman, owner of Medical Arts Pharmacy in St. Petersburg, shipped large quantities of prescription drugs to so-called pain clinics operated by Jeffrey and Christopher George, the twin brothers who masterminded the  pill-mill operation.

According to court documents, Goodman failed to check into the Georges’ operation as required by law before shipping the drugs.

The Georges already have pleaded guilty to racketeering charge. According to court records, the twins operated four clinics in Broward and Palm Beach counties that distributed 20 million oxycodone pills and made more than $40 million from the illegal sales of prescription drugs. Thirteen of the 32 defendants were doctors.