Kelo White, a 44-year-old resident of Fresno, has been sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for his role in the illegal distribution of oxycodone and hydrocodone pills. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez.
Court records show that between 2014 and 2018, White conspired with Donald Ray Pierre and pharmacist Ifeanyi Vincent Ntukogu to obtain more than 450,000 opioid pills using fraudulent prescriptions. White was held responsible for distributing over 250,000 of those pills. The group used forged signatures from more than ten doctors to create the prescriptions.
Before filling the prescriptions, Ntukogu would review each one to avoid drawing attention from government regulators. He rejected any prescription he believed might be suspicious, such as those written by certain doctors or for individuals who had already filled similar prescriptions at other pharmacies. In exchange for his cooperation, Ntukogu received cash payments from White and Pierre, who then sold the opioids for profit.
Ntukogu received a sentence of seven years and three months in prison on November 25, 2024. Pierre was sentenced earlier on July 21, 2020, to nine years and four months in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and California Department of Health Care Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antonio Pataca and Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
The prosecution was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. OCDETF focuses on dismantling high-level criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among multiple agencies led by prosecutors. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Additionally, this case falls under Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge—an initiative aimed at reducing synthetic opioid supply in areas most affected by these drugs while identifying both domestic and international distribution networks.
