A licensed West Virginia pharmacist appeared yesterday in federal court and pleaded guilty before a United States District Judge to conspiracy to acquire or obtain controlled substances by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge.

James P. Wooley, 76, of Louisa, Ky., the owner and operator of Strosnider Drug Store, Inc. which conducted its business operations as SAV-RITE Pharmacy in two locations near Kermit, pleaded guilty to John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

An investigation by the DEA and FBI found that, from June 2006 through September 2006, Wooley and other licensed pharmacists under his direction illegally dispensed controlled substances to patients from Justice Medical Clinic, located in Kermit.

Wooley admitted that he knew that the prescriptions issued to various patients at the time were not valid because the controlled substances prescribed were distributed without a doctor’s written approval.

Wooley also admitted that during the scheme, he issued numerous illegal prescriptions using a registered physician’s DEA number between June and September 2006, without the physician’s consent.

In addition to Wooley and his employees distributing controlled substances, Justice Medical Clinic was closed for failing to obtain a Certificate of Need from the West Virginia State Health Care Authority.

Wooley faces up to four years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on May 3, 2012.