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A sting operation ran by the Department of Justice (DOJ) has nabbed nearly 60 doctors, pharmacists, medical professionals and others in an alleged healthcare fraud involving opioids, according to prosecutors with the agency.
Nearly 60 medical professionals and others were charged by the DOJ, including 31 doctors, 7 pharmacists, 8 nurse practitioners and 7 other licensed medical professionals, according to the Department of Justice.
Federal prosecutors have not revealed how their sting operation allowed them to snare the defendants, only saying that it involved traditional law enforcement methods, which included surveillance, confidential informants and the issuing of warrants.
In an operation that began less than 4 months ago, the Department of Justice sent 14 of its best fraud prosecutors to bring charges in 5 states, including Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.
The hardest hit regions were the Appalachians, which was the focus of the operation.
Prosecutors say that their case involves over 350,000 prescriptions for controlled substances, which amounts to over 32 million pills. Prosecutors say the number is the equivalent of a dose of opioids for “every man, woman and child” across that 5 states where they say the healthcare fraud occurred.
“You can rest assured, when medical professionals behave like drug dealers, the Department of Justice is going to treat them like drug dealers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski, who is in charge of the DOJ’s criminal division.
