By: Richard L. Smith
A former Mercer County pharmacist has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for her role in a long-running conspiracy that illegally distributed large quantities of oxycodone through a Trenton pharmacy, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey.
Federal officials said Florence Ndubizu, 66, of Princeton Junction, was sentenced on June 2 by Zahid N. Quraishi following her conviction on charges related to the unlawful distribution of Schedule II controlled substances.
Ndubizu was found guilty on January 22, 2025, after a two-week federal trial in Trenton.
Jurors convicted her of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances and maintaining a premises for the illegal distribution of those drugs.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Ndubizu served as co-owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Healthcare Pharmacy, a former pharmacy located in Trenton.
Between 2014 and 2017, prosecutors said she directed employees to fill fraudulent prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice, despite knowing the medications were not being prescribed for legitimate medical purposes.
Authorities said the illegally dispensed drugs, primarily oxycodone, were diverted to individuals involved in street-level drug trafficking.
Investigators determined that Healthcare Pharmacy purchased and distributed millions of oxycodone dosage units during the conspiracy, including more than 800,000 pills in 2014, more than 900,000 pills in 2015, more than 800,000 pills in 2016, and more than 200,000 pills in 2017 before the Drug Enforcement Administration suspended the pharmacy’s registration.
Federal prosecutors said Ndubizu manipulated pharmacy records to conceal the diversion of oxycodone and evade state and federal reporting requirements.
A DEA audit found that between April 2015 and August 2017 alone, more than 64,000 oxycodone-containing pills had been diverted from the pharmacy’s inventory.
In addition to the 120-month prison sentence, Judge Quraishi ordered Ndubizu to serve three years of supervised release and pay a $350,000 fine following her incarceration.
The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.