FREEPORT - A Bahamian businesswoman accused of being involved in an alleged illegal internet pharmacy operation could face more than 30 US federal criminal charges.

If convicted, Carleta Carolina, owner of Coral Pharmaceuticals Ltd, in Logwood Road, Freeport, faces a possible maximum statutory sentence of 474 years in prison and a $10.9 million fine.

An official at the US States Attorney's office in Pennsylvania confirmed there is a federal indictment against Carolina and licenced Miami pharmacist Wayne White, 59.

"At this time no warrant of arrest has been issued for Carolina and no schedule has been set yet for an arraignment here in the US," said US States Attorney Office spokesman Patty Hartman.

According to a press release issued by the US Department of Justice on May 12, US States Attorney Zane David Memeger, with Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent-in-Charge John Bryfonski and IRS Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Troy Stemen announced that the US State Attorney's Office in Pennsylvania unsealed a superseding indictment charging the pair with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and other charges in connection with their participation in an illegal Internet pharmacy operation.

The superseding indictment alleges that Carolina and White illegally distributed controlled and non-controlled prescription drugs without valid prescriptions from at least April 2005 to December 7, 2009.

The pair faces 34 counts before the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, including two counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; 11 counts of distribution of controlled substances; one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering; eight counts of international money laundering, one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; 11 counts of mail fraud; aiding and abetting; criminal forfeiture drug offences; criminal forfeiture -- money laundering, criminal forfeiture -- mail fraud.

Transfers

It is alleged that Carolina knowingly made wire transfers of nearly $300,000 from an account in St Kitts to accounts at Bank of America and Citizens Bank Media, PA.

It is alleged that Carolina owned, operated, and was affiliated with websites, such as www.discreetonlinemeds.com, that sold controlled and non-controlled prescription drugs, primarily the controlled weight loss drugs phendimetrazine and phentermine, to customers who were only required to complete an online medical questionnaire but were not examined by a physician in connection with their orders.

According to the indictment, Carolina allegedly hired physicians to review the customers' online questionnaires and to issue prescriptions based solely upon the customers' responses.

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