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FBI agents raid three Pinellas pharmacies

By Abhi Raghunathan, Times Staff Writer
In print: Tuesday, April 15, 2008

An investigator, left, stands outside the Rx Shop with customer Josh Anderson, 26, of Largo. Federal officials served a warrant Monday at the pharmacy on Fort Harrison Avenue in Clearwater.
	[DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]

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Federal investigators swooped into three Pinellas County pharmacies with search warrants Monday as part of a months-long investigation of massive health care fraud.

No one was arrested and the stores remained opened. The FBI in Tampa said the investigation targets mail fraud, wire fraud, health care fraud and illegal manufacturing and distribution of drugs. The fraud allegations involve millions of dollars.

Two of the pharmacies searched Monday are called the Rx Shop, one at 810 S. Fort Harrison Avenue in Clearwater and the other at 5322 Duhme Road in Madeira Beach. The third was Seminole Drugs, 10720 Park Blvd. in Seminole. All three businesses were searched and the search warrants were sealed, said Dave Couvertier, a spokesman for the FBI's Tampa office.

The three pharmacies are owned by different local companies, state records show. The Clearwater Rx Shop was registered by Rang Inc. in 2005. The Madeira Beach Rx Shop was registered by Balaji LLC in 2006. Seminole Drugs was registered by Mozaj Inc. in August.

Officials with the three companies could not be reached for comment.

Couvertier said business would continue at the stores after agents their search.

Besides the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the state Attorney General's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration are involved in the investigation, among others.

The sight of federal agents surprised regular customers "It was like a shock," said Josh Anderson, 26, who went to the Clearwater Rx Shop for pain medication.

Federal and state agents removed hard-shell suitcases from the store.

Its neighbor to the north is the walk-in medical clinic of Dr. Valli Subramanian. A billboard reads: "Auto accident. Massage. Suboxone." The latter treats opiate dependence.

Anderson said he got prescriptions from Subramanian and filled them next door.

Roy Page, 66, said he regularly went to the Clearwater Rx Shop to fill prescriptions for a host of medical problems, including arthritis. When he went Monday to check on a medication, he was also surprised to see agents swarming around.

"They've always been up and aboveboard," he said of the employees. "I've never had any problems, and they've always treated me with respect."

Times researcher Carolyn Edds, photographer Douglas Clifford and reporters Jonathan Abel and Kevin Graham contributed to this report. Abhi Raghunathan can be reached at araghunathan@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8472.