Dennis RomeroYou thought drug dealers operated on street corners or in Lindsay Lohan's bathroom, but no.
Turns out a Van Nuys store front has been doing business as a “pill mill” where you can walk in with cash and walk out with an OxyContin prescription, no questions asked.
That, at least, is what L.A. County sheriff's officials are saying today:
Deputies say they raided the Roscoe Van Nuys Medical Clinic at 8121 Van Nuys Boulevard in Panorama City yesterday morning: They actually detained 70 — 70! — people there, including patients and employees.
Two patients, deputies said, were arrested for unrelated warrants.
In a statement, sheriff's authorities alleged the place was a pill mill:
A pill mill is a location where addicts and dealers pay cash (often $250) for Oxycontin/Oxycodone prescriptions without receiving medical exams. Pill Mills often generate illegal revenue of thousands of dollars a day.
In fact, officials say the same “clinic” was busted for the same thing in 2011 but reopened with “different doctors.”
Now, we'd say, Damn, the kingpin here has cajones. But the kingpin here, at least according to investigators, has more like ovaries.
Aida.; Credit: LASD
Aida Hawatmeh, of the 10100 block of Vanalden Avenue in Northridge had her home raided too. That was before she was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a felony and conspiracy to furnish folks with prescription drugs.
Cops now say that some of the clinic's employees, including doctors, are under investigation.
If you have info on them and want to drop a dime anonymously, call 800-222-8477.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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