A Tucson airman and his spouse are at the center of a sweeping federal case that prosecutors say turned a military pharmacy job into a multimillion‑dollar side hustle.
Federal prosecutors allege Staff Sgt. Richard Stefon Ramroop, assigned to the pharmacy at Davis‑Monthan Air Force Base, used his position to divert thousands of government‑purchased medical devices, then resold them for personal profit. Ramroop and his spouse, Manuel George Madrid, were indicted this month on 12 criminal counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud and money‑laundering. Authorities say the alleged operation pumped millions into the couple’s bank accounts, and agents seized luxury vehicles and a Tucson home during a January search.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona, a federal grand jury returned the indictment on Feb. 11. Ramroop and Madrid are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government Property, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud and Money‑Laundering. Court records cited in the release state that bank accounts controlled by the pair received more than $11 million in proceeds tied to the resale of medical test strips and devices, while the orders of diverted equipment cost the Department of War over $3 million. The case is filed under number 4:26‑cr‑00601‑AMM‑JEM.
How investigators say the scheme worked
Investigators allege Ramroop tapped his access in the Davis‑Monthan pharmacy to order thousands of medical devices with taxpayer dollars, then quietly diverted those shipments for resale with Madrid over several years, as detailed by AFOSI Public Affairs. AFOSI reports the scheme ran from January 2022 through December 2025, with proceeds channeled through bank accounts tied to resale companies…