RICO INDICTMENT FILED ON THIRTEEN PEOPLE TRAFFICKING DRUGS PRESCRIBED BY FLORIDA PHYSICIAN

Posted on 1/9/2017

Defendant: Amanda Basich, Joshua Smith, and 11 others

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, “Two people and their organized group of eleven others, travelled to see a doctor in Florida to obtain pain pills for resale in Franklin County.”  Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced that the Franklin County Grand Jury has returned indictments against thirteen individuals involved in an organization trafficking in prescription medication between Florida and Ohio.  The charges range from (RICO) Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity (F-1), Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (F-2), and Aggravated Funding of Drug Trafficking (F-1).  The two bosses of the organization are Amanda Marie Basich (Columbus, 43228), age 28 and Joshua Frederic Smith (Columbus, 43229), age 31.  Basich and Smith organized, funded, and sold the prescription pain pills obtained from the drug trafficking organization beginning approximately in March of 2015.  Basich and Smith were initially partners coordinating people to travel to Tampa, Florida to see a doctor for pain pill prescriptions.  However, by June of 2016, each boss had built their own separate organizations.  The other eleven indicted are as follows:

 

          Joshua Christopher Howell (Columbus, 43224), age 34

          Christopher Edward Allmon (Columbus, 43222), age 34     

          Travis Justin Eisenman (Columbus, 43229), age 38

          Mandy Lea Diles (Columbus, 43223), age 27

          Christina Lynn Duty (Columbus, 43222), age 29

          Alecia Danielle Adkins (Tampa, FL 33613), age 26

          James Carter Johnson II (Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311), age 47

          Drew Aaron Glassner (Gahanna, 43230), age 34

          Kelly McBride (Mt. Gilead, 43338), age 48

          Danielle Lucille Duty (Columbus, 43222), age 28

          Richard W. Telthorster (Columbus, 43204), age 43

 

“During the time span of 15 months, it is estimated that this enterprise acquired and sold 12,002 prescription pills in Franklin County (primarily Oxycodone) with a street value of approximately $165,000,” O’Brien stated.  O’Brien commended the Columbus Police Department for their investigation of this case.  If convicted on all charges, Basich and Smith each face a minimum of eleven years incarceration.  The co-conspirators of the organization each face potentially three years in prison.  “Through the collaborative efforts of many, we have once again been able to shut down a drug trafficking organization and will aggressively prosecute these thirteen drug traffickers to get them off our streets,” O’Brien stated.