MEDIA, Penn. — An 81-year-old pharmacist in Pennsylvania reportedly turned himself over to police Monday after authorities alleged he traded drugs for sexual favors in the small-town community where he worked.
Fox News reported, Martin Brian was the owner and operator of the Murray-Overhill Pharmacy about 20 miles outside Philadelphia, where he allegedly chose to "actively contribute to the scourge of addiction" that many families in the area were grappling with amid the opioid epidemic.
The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office said Brian "allowed his need for sexual gratification to override any sense of personal or professional responsibility to the community."
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said, "his actions risked the life of every individual receiving these illicitly obtained drugs."
Police started to investigate after two people were found passed out inside a car parked behind the pharmacy.
On April 20, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted an audit on the pharmacy and found "substantial discrepancies in the pharmacy’s inventory of oxycodone, Xanax and fentanyl."
The investigation found that Brain’s pharmacy was the largest purchaser of oxycodone, fentanyl, and related drug products in the local ZIP code. Authorities also found about $50,000 cash inside a drawer in the pharmacy.
DEA agents said they interviewed two women during their investigation who admitted to exchanging sexual favors with Brian for drugs.
Brian was charged with multiple counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance to a drug-dependent person, the dispensing of a controlled substance in a manner inconsistent with the rules of the medical profession, the criminal use of a communication facility, and sexual extortion.
His bail was set at $250,000 and preliminary hearing was scheduled for Nov. 17.
