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Two Physicians Plead Guilty in International Internet Pharmacy Conspiracy

by Barbara Kram, Editor | August 06, 2008

In addition to the pleas by Shah and Morris, plea agreements for two other defendants connected to the Affpower enterprise have recently been unsealed in U.S. District Court in San Diego. Michael L. Bezonsky, 46, of Calabasas, Calif., whose plea was unsealed on June 5, 2008, pleaded guilty in San Diego before U.S. District Judge John A. Houston to one count of participating in a RICO conspiracy for his role in creating and operating the Affpower enterprise. Bezonsky also agreed to forfeit $12,257,411 in connection with his plea. In pleading guilty Bezonsky admitted that at his and others' direction, the Affpower enterprise engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity involving multiple acts of illegally distributing controlled substances and money laundering. At sentencing - scheduled for April 13, 2009 - Bezonsky faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and fine of $250,000 or twice his gross profits from the illegal activity for the RICO conspiracy.

At the same time, Bezonsky also entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of money laundering charged in a separate indictment that was returned Aug. 2, 2006, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania stemming from other related illegal Internet pharmacy activities. Bezonsky agreed to forfeit more than $635,792 in connection with the plea in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In that plea agreement, Bezonsky admitted to being the principal operator of another Internet pharmacy business known as RX Medical One, which received approximately $33,676,000 from the sale of controlled pharmaceutical substances from approximately September 2003 to May 2004. At his sentencing on April 13, 2009, Bezonsky also faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances, and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of two times the value of the property involved in the transactions for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

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Brittin Cahill, 45, of Alisa Viejo, Calif., whose plea was unsealed on June 9, 2008, also pleaded guilty before Judge Houston to one count of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Cahill also agreed to forfeit $582,746. Cahill admitted under the terms of her plea agreement that she operated Affpower enterprises' Web sites, recruited and managed other affiliates who advertised the Affpower enterprises' business, and opened an overseas account in the name of a fictitious business in which she received some of her commissions from the illegal sales of controlled substances. At sentencing - scheduled for Sept. 22, 2008 - Cahill faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the conspiracy to commit money laundering.