4 Convicted in Internet Pharmacy Case
By CATHERINE WILSON
MIAMI (AP) — A restaurant owner, two of her sons and another man were convicted Friday of running an unlicensed Internet pharmacy that filled orders nationally from a suburban home.
The four were accused of dispensing drugs without prescriptions from Betty Gorman’s Pembroke Pines home on sales generated by two Internet sites, which have been dismantled.
Gorman, sons James and John and Web site designer Kenneth Dodd were convicted of fraud conspiracy and 121 counts of illegal sales tied to specific orders. The medications included the antibiotic Cipro and an assortment of thyroid drugs and painkillers.
Prosecutors insisted the business tried to avoid easy detection and kept operating after the Food and Drug Administration wrote a warning letter to Dodd in March 2001. Federal law prohibits drug sales to U.S. citizens without a prescription.
The defense argued that Betty Gorman launched and pursued the business with the advice of a lawyer, who turned out to be unlicensed. Deliberating jurors asked for the definition of attorney and were given the answer from a dictionary.
Defense attorney Jon May portrayed Betty Gorman, 67, as a warrior in the battle against high-cost health care, citing testimonials from unemployed and uninsured people thanking the company for its help.
Betty and James Gorman and Dodd were convicted of all charges and face up to five years in prison at sentencing June 12.
John Gorman, manager of the family restaurant, was convicted of misdemeanors based on his defense that his involvement was limited to occasionally mailing packages for his mother. He is eligible for a sentence without jail time.
Legitimate Internet pharmacies display a seal indicating they meet state licensing requirements, and the FDA has issued a brochure to tell consumers what to look for when shopping for medication online.
—
On the Net:
More science, space, and technology from RedNova
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.