Memphis, TN – Two residents of Texas have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a counterfeit prescription drug distribution operation involving methamphetamine and counterfeit Adderall, which were distributed to various locations within the United States, including Western Tennessee. The announcement was made by Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
Winrose Ndichu, 33, was convicted of aiding and abetting the structuring of financial transactions to evade reporting requirements. Eric Bernard Russell, Jr., 39, was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Additionally, Kevin Olando Ombisi, 35, was previously sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment for various charges, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution and attempted distribution of methamphetamine, sale of counterfeit Adderall, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and mail fraud.
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According to court information, in November 2019, law enforcement began conducting undercover buys of purported Adderall from a Darknet vendor known as CARDINGMASTER, who advertised “100% AUTHENTIC Adderall Brand 30 mg” pills. These narcotics were shipped from Texas to the Western District of Tennessee in exchange for Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Laboratory testing revealed that the drugs did not contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Adderall but instead contained methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
A financial investigation discovered that proceeds from these sales were funneled through fictitious businesses, various bank accounts, and cryptocurrency to conceal their unlawful nature. These transactions were directed by Ombisi and conducted by Ndichu. Over a year, Ndichu withdrew more than $250,000 from these accounts in increments of less than $10,000 to avoid federal reporting requirements, knowing these funds were from unlawful activities or intended to promote such activities.
United States District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Russell to 42 months of imprisonment on March 28, 2024. On June 27, 2024, Judge Norris sentenced Ndichu to 18 months of imprisonment. It is important to note that there is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Nashville Field Division, the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation (FDA-OCI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and local law enforcement partners.
United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz expressed gratitude to Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks, who prosecuted the case, and the law enforcement partners involved in the investigation.
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
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