Physician and Pharmacist Among Those Arrested

Subject: Physician and Pharmacist Among Those Arrested Thu 18 Aug 2011, 12:10 am

August 10,2011 News Release from the DEA

Physician and Pharmacist Among Those Arrested
in Drug Conspiracy and Health Care Fraud Case

AUG 10 – PHILADELPHIA - A 498-count indictment was unsealed today charging 53 defendants, including a Montgomery County physician and a Northeast Philadelphia pharmacist, in a multi-million dollar drug conspiracy involving phony prescriptions, phony patients, and an alleged drug trafficking organization. The indictment was announced by United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Zane David Memeger, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent-in-Charge John J. Bryfonski of the Philadelphia Division, Department of Health and Human Services Special Agent-in-Charge Nick DiGiulio, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge George C. Venizelos. In addition to charges of drug possession and drug distribution, the indictment contains 240 counts of health care fraud. Agents from multiple federal and local agencies arrested defendants this morning.

Included in the indictment are Dr. Norman Werther of Horsham, Pennsylvania, pharmacist Ihsanullah Sean Maaf of Northeast Pharmacy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and alleged drug trafficker William Stukes, also of Philadelphia. According to the indictment, Stukes and his alleged drug trafficking organization recruited large numbers of pseudo patients and then transported them to Dr. Werther s medical office for fake examinations. These patients paid an office visit fee, usually $150, to the office staff and Werther would write prescriptions for those patients to obtain oxycodone-based drugs without there being a medical need for the prescription. The patients were then driven to various pharmacies to have their prescriptions filled, including Northeast Pharmacy where Maaf would fill the prescription. The drugs were then turned over to Stukes or his drivers. Stukes and his organization would allegedly sell the narcotics to numerous drug dealers, who are also named in the indictment, who would also then resell the drugs on the street. It is estimated that between September 2009 and July 2011, the Stukes drug trafficking organization earned more than $5 million through these illegal prescriptions and that the defendants unlawfully acquired and distributed over 200,000 pills containing oxycodone.

“Doctors and pharmacists are trained to help real patients suffering from actual medical conditions, not drug trafficking organizations,” said Memeger. “Ignoring the clear health risks that Oxycodone presents when introduced into the human body, Dr. Werther and pharmacist Maaf elected to use their medical training to engage in fraud by feeding the habits of drug abusers seeking a quick fix. Werther and Maaf are just like the street corner drug dealers they supplied, despite their professional status.”

According to the indictment, pharmacist Ihsanullah Maaf filled Dr. Werther s illegally obtained prescriptions for the drug trafficking organization and laundered the money he received for his services by structuring his cash bank deposits to avoid federal reporting requirements. Maaf is charged with 119 counts of money laundering, 119 counts of structuring of financial transactions, and one count of aggravated structuring of financial transactions. A forfeiture notice seeks at least $920,574 in United States currency, representing the amount of property involved in the money laundering conspiracy.

Defendants Rita Myles, Rashida Lyles, and Tina Weisz worked in Dr. Werther s office and allegedly helped facilitate and verify the prescriptions; defendants Gerald Brinkley and Darrah Robinson allegedly aided Stukes in the running of the drug organization; drivers for the Stukes organization include defendants Herbert Hughes, Carlos Richards, Warren Johnson, Gregory Johnson, Claude Nolan, and Darrell Hendricks; charged as bulk pill buyers are Timothy Peden, Troy Fletcher, Christopher Pizzo, Ato Strong, Sylvester Adams, Jason Romm, James Lyles, and Michael Sanders.

Charged in the indictment as pseudo patients are: Zaniah Beard, Donald Brown, Kim Carter, Andre Dawkins, Evette Gringrow, Leon Harris, Denise Hawkins, Ronnie Jackson, Carla Jenkins, Beatrice Lewis, Michael Littlejohn, Vernell McDaniels, Eric Perry, Mark Reid, Michael Rominiecki, Wayne Rucker, Patricia Simmons, Lawrence Stith, Debra Stukes, Viola Stukes, Steven Thompson, Eric Treadwell, Julia Turner, Geraldine Watkins, Yolanda Williams, Lamont Butcher, Khaliff Headen, Sophia Holder, Latoisha Jones, Dawn Little, and Derek Stukes. These 31 pseudo patients are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and numerous counts of health care fraud.

“This case underscores the magnitude of the prescription drug abuse problem facing the United States today,” said Bryfonski (DEA). “The drugs in this case, when abused, can bring about the same tragic consequences as cocaine and heroin. Even more disturbing, the alleged deception involved suggests that those sworn to treat and administer to the sick can be drawn into a criminal web of drug trafficking for personal gain.”

“The abuse of prescription medications has become a major public health crisis fueled by fraud,” said DiGiulio (HHS-OIG). “All too often prescriptions have no real medical purpose, are fraudulently billed to our health insurance programs, and then sold on the street to drug abusers. Today's arrests, carried out with our law enforcement partners, are intended to serve justice.”

“Doctors and pharmacists who illegally dispense narcotics and other controlled substances are no different than street corner drug dealers, said Venizelos (FBI). These types of heath care fraud schemes not only divert limited resources from patients that really need and deserve care, they also endanger people's lives.”

The crimes of conspiracy, distribution of controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute, and money laundering each carry a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison; health care fraud and aggravated structuring each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; structuring financial transactions carries a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison. Each defendant also faces possible fines, periods of supervised release, and special assessments.

This case was investigated by the Tactical Diversion Squad of the Philadelphia Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Office of Inspector General (HHS/OIG), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, the North Coventry Police Department and the Upper Moreland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Rotella and Nancy Beam Winter.

Source:
DEA News Release:
Justice.Gov

Physician and Pharmacist Among Those Arrested Walkin11

Amazing, isn't it? Simply amazing! My image above is supposed to be a man walking away from his problems, but in this case, I used it as my own interpretation of these "doctors" (dealers) walking away from their professions, never to come back to having again. I realize that this goes on everywhere & thank God that these agents were able to get such a large number of people in these arrests as it is normally seeming to be one doctor at a time around here.

These are the "pill mills" that are at the very highest peak in Scioto County, Ohio- right near the West Virginia & Kentucky borders, according to a special done by the television show "In Depth Intervention- Hillbilly Heroin." These doctors are also doing the very same things that are mentioned above & within this county, there has been at least one death per week for over a year due to Oxycontin overdoses, sometimes more. "It has affected nearly every family in the county in one way or another, whether being the addict themselves or the families of losing a loved one due to this drug. The entire community has been affected by this epidemic." It goes on with hidden cameras into these pill mills to show how easily the prescriptions can be obtained. It is also a major route of distribution to other areas of the Appalachian crisis as well as to other areas of Ohio & Kentucky. If you are interested, you can look up the A&E TV show "Intervention" and pull up the episode of "In Depth Hillbilly Heroin" where the actual episode is available. This is a very common problem in many areas- this county just seems to be at the top of the list of availability. These doctors are nothing more than your common corner drug dealer. It was a very interesting episode to watch & I strongly encourage anyone who is intereted in learning more about this epidemic to check it out.

Recently in our very area (15 minute drive, tops), there have been 2 doctors that have been arrested for essentially the same activities. They would only accept cash payments for visits & it was $300 per visit from what I have read in our local newspaper. One was from Africa & had stored away MILLIONS of dollars in other countries (most likely Africa) & the way that his office worked was that there were no appointment times. First come, first served. He arrived about 9am & would already have a line of about 75-100 "patients" waiting outside his doorway, fighting to be first in line. He literally saw hundreds of patients per day!! And from what I have only been told, one would go into an operatory & he would come in to ask what they needed, write out the scripts & send them on their very merry ways. No medical check-ups, no need for medical issues, just write you the scripts you wanted & got you out the door. He is now spending 10 years in an Ohio prison, without any bail after being arrested for fear of him fleeing back to Africa. And the thing that really makes me cringe about this "doctor" is that he was a cosmetic surgeon prescribing these drug combinations that could kill people without a second thought other than their money. I was also told that his wife, who also worked with him in the office, was given a shot of Fentanyl everyday before beginning her work day. I wonder where she is today...? I don't know if this is a fact or not, but rumor is that she is spending 3 years in prison as an accessory to his (their) crimes, as she should be in my own personal opinion. Now please mind you, this was only one doctor within a very small city & there have been dozens of other arrests in other counties, as well as the same city that he had worked in. Remember the OB/GYN that I had seen about starting his Suboxone program, but he did not have it set up properly yet at the time that I saw him, is another that is now red flagged for illegal prescription distribution. What OB sees as many men as women & to write them out scripts for such pills as Oxycontin, Xanax, Percocet, Vicodin, Valium, you name it, you got it from him. At the present moment, his daughter who was his office manager is on the run for false prescriptions, as well as being an addict herself, would call in scripts to different pharmacies under patients names & spilt the scripts with the actual patients whose name she was using. When I saw him, I was shocked by the amount of people in the office, especially men who were there without a pregnant woman & the amount of activity that was taking place literally in the waiting area, as well as the parking lot & wondering what the hell was going on? I didn't see one pregnant woman in the office at all. Although, I did happen to see a man come in & pull a woman out of the waiting area by her hair out to the parking lot to have the crap beaten out of her, in front of the entire office & Lord knows who else BC she was taking too long to get in to see the "doctor." Now let me also tell you that she had her cell phone plugged into their outlet in the waiting room & was literally making drug deals over the phone for as soon as she was done with her appointment. Shocked

The police were called due to the beating that she was receiving in the parking lot, but she wanted to press no charges, although I believe that the man was arrested anyways for threatening office staff & the abuse that he placed onto her. She instead just came back into the office to see if it was her turn yet to see the doctor, as well as to retrieve her cell phone, which had never stopped ringing the entire time that she was taking her beating. I could go on & on about that one visit & what I had seen & heard. One more example & i will stop, but the girl who was sitting directly beside me (as the waiting room was standing room only before I had left) asked me what I was there for. I told her that it was my first visit & she "reassured" me that he would give me anything that I wanted. She was receiving 120 80mg Oxycontins per month, as well as Percocet for break through pain, as well as Zanax bars & to just let him know what I needed & he would "help me out" with the prescriptions. Now also mind you, when I finally did get into see him for a script of Suboxone, he couldn't prescibe it, but instead offered me more narcotics to get through until I could find a Provider. He also told me that he had to do a pap smear on me, despite that I was not there for anything to do with my female issues. I told him about the lump in my breast & he said that I needed a biopsy done, but did not do one, nor refer me to anyone to get it done. I was on Valium & he asked how much I was taking & wrote me a script for 180 with several refills. And the refills were not placed onto the same prescription, they were all written out onto seperate scripts, just as the girl in the waiting room had explained that he would do for me in case I ran out early, I could take the other script to another pharmacy & have it filled before it was time to actually due to be refilled. That was very odd to me... It certainly raised red flags in my mind long before the DEA came into the picture. After several months & running out of my Valium, I went to see him again, but he was off to deliver a baby at the present moment. His daughter told me that I could wait or re-schedule. I opted to re-schedule, but she asked me how many tabs I needed to get by for that day & possibly the next, so I just said 10. She went into the back room & came out & handed me 10 tablets until I could actually see the doctor. No scripts, no questions, just handed me the pills & told me that she would see me within the next couple of days & to have a great day! WHAT?!? As it stands now, I believe that he is still practicing as the DEA is still gathering evidence against him, but NO pharmacy in the area will fill his prescriptions any longer. Not even for the Suboxone that he is now set up to actually be able to prescribe. He will be going down very soon. As I have been in search for a new provider, I have asked about him from others that I know are receiving it from him & they told me to stay as far away as possible from him & his office. The DEA is sitting there watching & yet, he continues to practice with this knowledge.

Anyways, I just thought that I would share my own personal story about the doctors in my own area that I have knowledge of doing the same type of activities that were shared in Dee's post about the big time arrests that took place in PA. I am closing this up for now, but am so glad that an entire network has been taken out of commission for these type of doctor's & pharmacists activities. I think that we will be seeing more & more of this happening as the word spreads as the addicts do not want to "go down" for possessing these drugs, so they are willing to flip on their doctors to avoid legal trouble themselves. I guess that we shall see...

Beth I love you

I wanted to apologize because you used to be able to watch the episodes of Intervention right here on the Internet on the A&E sight, but it looks as of now, you may have to purchase the DVD in order to watch the full episode unless I am doing something incorrectly... Sorry about the wrong info in my previous post.

Beth

Beth have you thought about helping with the bringing down of this previous doctor of yours?
The decision is always up to you. The way I see it, the more evidence they have the better it will be. If you could do it anonymously it might give you some closure and healing.
What was done to you was wrong, I remember when all of that happened. (If some of our members would like to read about this, there is a post somewhere on the forum.)

I am glad that you were able to get away. This doctor abused his power and did what no doctor should ever do. Sad to say there are many like him and doctors like him give so many a bad name.
Just as the patients who choose to divert their medications give the patients of Medicated Assisted Treatment a bad name.

All I can say is that I hope they get what they deserve. Completely and severely.

Number of posts : 10 Registration date : 2011-08-22

lol Figures its my hometown souns about right though thats how the game worked the doctors were just as bad as us.

Number of posts : 10 Registration date : 2011-08-22

You can watch intervention on hulu

W.T
Is it okay if I call you that? Like Beth, I really don't want to use the name you chose as your user name as I don't htink of you as whitetrash.

Thanks for letting us know the program can be watched on Hulu, I watch hulu and Netflix a lot as I don't have cable anymore. I pretty much got tired of paying for something I very rarely watch.
Dee

Number of posts : 10 Registration date : 2011-08-22

lol you guys can call me whatever you want. Hulu is free for a lot of stuff but i do believe you need hulu plus to see the episode Beth is talking about. I love netflix especially now that they have the app for android i use it a lot especially in the park. I sometimes like to get the dog out for a nice long time so i walk him around then watch a movie or tv shows while he does his thing

I too like taking walks, I live close to downtown so sometimes I just walk around at and take in how everything is changing. I live in a small town and we still have a lot of small town businesses. It's nice and has a great sense of community.
I hope things are going well for you.
How are things going by the way, any better?

Number of posts : 10 Registration date : 2011-08-22

Yeah doing I am better i still get bored but I am re learning I love naps for one thing lol. In the height of my use i worked in the day hustled after I slept like 3 hours a night for a couple years there were days here and there were i acyually slept but not many. But yes I am dealing with it passing time thank you for asking. How are you making out?

I'm doing good. We have had a lot of negative publicity in my state about Buprenorphine and diversion and with that comes the fear that more doctors are going to stop prescribing. We have already lost quite a few in my area. I have to see my provider next week so I plan to talk with her and see where she stands on the subject.
I hope that I won't have to worry about her leaving anytime soon but you never know. She has stopped taking new patients even when the olds ones move on.

It is also the time of year that I start to get antsy, wanting to find something to do but not knowing what. Fall is here now and the snow will be flying soon I'm sure.
My other half works night and my son is 18 now, he is the baby. I am finding myself with a lot of time on my hands.
It is time for me to take my own advice and find some hobbys.

» Woman arrested for selling Suboxone
» Gregg Co. jailers arrested for falsifying gov't documents