HARRISBURG – A Harrisburg man, who is married to a mid-town doctor, has been arrested and charged with illegally obtaining pre scri ption drugs for his own use.
Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendant as Charles Asuzu, 47, Harrisburg. Asuzu is married to Dr. Juliette Asuzu, who practiced at the Belleview Medical Clinic, 1118 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg.
Corbett said that the investigation was initiated after the Drug Enforcement Agency advised agents about the excessive purchasing of Hydrocodone by Dr. Asuzu.
“Doctors are aware of the highly addictive qualities that many pre scri ption medications can have, yet we continue to investigate case of doctors and their family members abusing pre scri ption drugs,” Corbett said.
According the criminal complaint, between December 2007 and January 2008, Charles Asuzu obtained quantities of Vicodin by tendering numerous forged pre scri ptions to various retail pharmacies throughout the greater Harrisburg area. He allegedly used his mother-in-law’s name on the pre scri ptions. Her whereabouts are unknown.
The charges state that in 2007 Asuzu allegedly obtained pre scri ptions on a 30-day rotation until November, sometimes having scri pts filled two times a month. A total of 15 pre scri ptions for 240 Hydrocodone tablets were written in 2007, totaling 3,600 tablets of Vicoden.
Corbett said that on Jan. 23, 2008 narcotics agents executed a search warrant of Asuzu’s residence as well as Dr. Asuzu’s office. Agents recovered approximately 720 Hydrocodone tablets and approximately 240 Carisoprodol/Soma tablets, a muscle relaxing drug, which were recently obtained with forged pre scri ptions filled at Wal-Mart, Weis, CVS and Rite-Aid Pharmacies.
Corbett said that agents also seized a trash bag from the Asuzu residence, allegedly containing a pharmacy receipt for 180 Hydrocodone tablets dated Jan. 21, 2008, a receipt from a day earlier for 90 Carisoprodol tablets, and a Jan. 21, 2008 receipt for 90 more Carisoprodol tablets. Each receipt was from a different pharmacy in the Harrisburg area.
Investigators also recovered numerous pre scri ptions allegedly signed by Dr. Asuzu that were recently delivered in the mail through the Nigerian Consulate in New York City. These pre scri ptions were allegedly signed and sent by Dr. Asuzu, who, when she became aware of the Attorney General’s investigation, fled the United States to her native Nigeria.on Nov. 27, 2007.
The criminal complaint states that agents recovered several second pages of carbon pre scri ptions, which were blank, a torn up blank pre scri ption with what appears to be a fraudulent signature of Dr. Asuzu and three empty pre scri ption bottles.
“Pre scri ption drug abuse is just as serious as cocaine or heroin abuse,” Corbett said. “The social stigma attached may not be different but the consequences with abusing drugs never changes. If you use and abuse any type of drug you will be caught.”
Asuzu is charged with one continuous count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, deception or subterfuge.
Corbett noted that the investigation into the pre scri ption practices of Dr. Asuzu is ongoing and agents are continuing to investigate quantities of Hydrocodone received by Charles Asuzu dating back to January 2006.
Asuzu was arraigned in Dauphin County night court on Jan. 23, 2008 and released after posting $15,000 bail.
Corbett thanked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police for their assistance with the investigation.