A Houston medical professional accused of running unlicensed pain management clinics is requesting the return of more than $92,000 in money that was seized from his bank account. The doctor does not yet face prescription drug charges even though federal agents investigated four of his clinics. The man insists that he had never committed a crime and wants his money back. In a court document, he called the seizure fraudulent and denies that he obtained the funds illegally.
Officials investigated his sales of prescription drugs, which included muscle relaxers, an anti-anxiety drug and painkillers. The bank produced records of the doctor's accounts, and clinic records indicated numerous cash payments for frequent amounts of $100 or $120. Officials estimate the doctor had in excess of 6,000 payments and claim he earned about $720,000 from operating the pain management clinics across the city.
Undercover agents pretended to be sick patients and got prescriptions from the "pill mills." In court documents, the doctor accused the agents of "trickery and deceit" since they weren't really ill. His license to practice was suspended on December 4, 2012, and will not be returned pending a new board order. The board opined that the doctor is a threat to public safety because of the fraudulent prescriptions and two unregistered clinics. The Texas Medical Board does not have any information on pain management clinics run by the suspect.
Professionals who have lost their license and face possible felony charges can be cleared of the accusations against them so that they can continue earning money. An attorney might be able to assist clients by requesting a reduction or dismissal of charges in order to mitigate penalties.
Source: Amarillo, "'Pill mill' doc wants cash suit dismissed," Jim McBride, Feb. 24, 2013
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