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Cases Against Doctors This is a listing of investigations of physician registrants in which DEA was involved that resulted in the arrest and prosecution of the registrant. Last Updated: October 12, 2017 Name: Abbey, Julian A., MD City, State: Saugus, MA Date of Arrest: 10/28/2005 Date of Conviction: 04/30/2008 Judicial Status: Pled Guilty Conviction: Possession with intent to distribute DEA Registration: Revoked 03/09/2007 Remarks: Julian A. Abbey, MD, age 47, of Saugus, MA, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Abbey was sentenced to five years probation. Name: ADAMS, Lawrence, MD City, State: Phillipsburg, PA Date of Arrest: 6/12/2007 Date of Conviction: 10/31/2008 Judicial Status: Jury Conviction Conviction: Prescribing outside accepted medical treatment principles; Criminal conspiracy to obtain possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation or fraud; Dispensing/prescribing to a drug dependent person; Refusal or failure to keep required records; Willful dispensing of a controlled substance without proper labeling; Delivery of or possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance; Criminal use of communication facility; and Criminal conspiracy to commit delivery of or possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance DEA Registration: Retired 07/09/2009 Remarks: Lawrence Adams, MD, age 48, of Phillipsburg, PA, was found guilty in the Court of Common Pleas of Center County, Pennsylvania of 11 counts Prescribing Outside Accepted Medical Treatment Principles; four counts Criminal Conspiracy to Obtain Possession of a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation or Fraud; 10 counts Dispensing/Prescribing to a Drug Dependent Person; four counts Refusal or Failure to Keep Required Records, three counts Willful Dispensing of a Controlled Substance without Proper Labeling; six counts Delivery of or Possession with the Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance; one count Criminal Use of Communication Facility; and one count Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Delivery of or Possession with the Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance. According to court documents, Adams continually prescribed controlled substances to drug dependent individuals. Adams was sentenced to seven to 14 years incarceration, with a credit of 59 days time served, followed by 20 years probation. In addition, Adams was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine. x Name: AGRAWAL, Pankaj, MD City, State: Sicklerville, NJ Date of Arrest: 06/27/2008 Date of Conviction: 03/25/2009 Judicial Status: Plead Guilty Conviction: Distribution of Oxycodone and Money Laundering DEA Registration: Surrendered 07/28/2008 Remarks: Pankaj Agrawal, MD, age 62, of Sicklerville, NJ, plead guilty in U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, to one count Distribution Oxycodone and one count Money Laundering. According to court documents, between January 2005 and June 2008, Agrawal knowingly, intentionally distributed and dispensed to several individuals Oxycodone, specifically Percocet tablets. Agrawal was sentenced to 63 months incarceration, followed by three years supervised release. Name: AHLES, Peter, MD City, State: Anaheim, CA Date of Arrest: 06/14/2005 Date of Conviction: 10/05/2006 Judicial Status: Pled Guilty Conviction: Dispensing a controlled substance outside the scope of professional practice DEA Registration: Revoked 09/25/2006 Remarks: Peter Ahles, MD, age 67, of Anaheim, CA, pled guilty in United States District Court to one count of dispensing hydrocodone, a controlled substance, outside the scope of professional practice with no legitimate medical purpose. According to court documents, Ahles dispensed 500 units of hydrocodone to confidential informants in exchange for $500. Ahles was placed on home detention for a period of six months and sentenced to three years probation. Name: AHMAD, Salahuddin, MD City, State: Ferndale, MI Date of Arrest: 05/13/2008 Date of Conviction: 09/24/2009 Judicial Status: Pled Guilty Conviction: Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Oxycodone DEA Registration: Surrendered 10/03/2008 Remarks: Salahuddin S. Ahmad, MD, of Ferndale, MI, pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, to one count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Oxycodone. According to court documents, on May 13, 2008, Ahmad, outside the scope of his legitimate practice of medicine, planned to sell (and possessed with the intent to sell) over 2,400 OxyContin tablets. Ahmad was sentenced to 36 months incarceration, followed by 36 months supervised release. Ahmad was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. Name: ALEXANDER, Bruce, MD City, State: Frisco, TX Date of Arrest: 12/5/2006 Date of Conviction: 5/16/2007 Judicial Status: Pled Guilty Conviction: Conspiracy to possess morphine, a schedule ii controlled substance, with intent to distribute DEA Registration: Surrender 2/22/2006 Remarks: Bruce Alexander, MD, age 40, of Frisco, TX, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess morphine, a Schedule II controlled substance, with intent to distribute. According to the court documents, Alexander knowingly conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute morphine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Alexander mailed numerous packages containing various controlled substances (including morphine, alprazolam, and hydrocodone) to an accomplice in Indiana. Alexander was sentenced to 6 months home confinement and 3 years probation. He was also fined $2,000.00. Name: ALEXANDER, Edward James, MD City, State: Philadelphia, PA Date of Arrest: 10/18/2007 Date of Conviction: 02/13/2008 Judicial Status: Pled Guilty Conviction: Use of Fictitious Registration DEA Registration: Retired 04/21/2007 Remarks: Edward J. Alexander, MD, age 52, of Philadelphia, PA, pled guilty in the Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, to three counts of use of a fictitious registration. Alexander was sentenced to one year probation on each count to run consecutively. He was ordered to pay $1,565.50 in costs/fees and fined $300. Name: ALEXANDERIAN, Harry, MD City, State: West Pittston, PA Date of Arrest: 10/4/2004 Date of Conviction: 5/24/2005 Judicial Status: Pled Guilty Conviction: Dispensing controlled substances with no legitimate medical purpose DEA Registration: Surrendered 3/30/2004 Remarks: Harry Alexanderian, MD, age 80, of West Pittston, PA, pled guilty in state court to dispensing controlled substances outside of the scope of professional practice with no legitimate medical purpose. He also pled guilty to Medicaid fraud and unlicensed treatment of drug addiction. Alexanderian was sentenced to six months house arrest to be followed by two years probation. ALLARA, Robert, MD City, State: Charleston, WV Date of Arrest: 4/28/2008 Date of Conviction: 4/28/2008 Judicial Status: Pled Guilty Conviction: Obtaining a controlled substance by fraud DEA Registration: Surrendered 08/03/2007 Remarks: Robert Allara, MD, age 52, of Charleston, WV, pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia, to Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Fraud. According to court documents, Allara knowingly and intentionally aided and abetted another person in acquiring and obtaining possession of a quantity of hydrocodone by deception. Allara was sentenced to 5 months incarceration followed by 1 year supervised release (five months of the supervised release will be completed on home confinement) and ordered to pay a fine of $10,000. Name: ARMASHI, A. Hussam, MD City, State: Spring Hill, FL Date of Arrest: 02/22/2005 Date of Conviction: Judicial Status: Outstanding arrest warrant for sexual battery on person incapacitated; battery Conviction: DEA Registration: Surrendered 09/08/2006 Remarks: Hussam Armashi, MD, age 60, was charged with intentionally administering a narcotic, anesthetic, or intoxicating substance to a female patient who was under his care that resulted in the patient’s mental or physical incapacitation, and then attempting to engage the patient in sexual activity without her consent and causing her injury. There continues to be an active, outstanding arrest warrant for Armashi in Hernando County, FL. Anyone who has information pertaining to Dr. Armashi’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the nearest Drug Enforcement Administration office or the Hernando County (Florida) Police Department. Name: ASTIN, Phil III, MD City, State: Carrollton, GA Date of Arrest: 07/02/2007 Date of Conviction: 01/29/2009 Judicial Status: Pled Guilty Conviction: Unlawful drug distribution DEA Registration: Retired 07/09/2007 Remarks: Phil Astin III, MD, age 54, of Carrollton, GA, pled guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia to 175 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances. According to the indictment, Astin distributed and dispensed a quantity of controlled substances for other than a legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of professional practice. The controlled substances included Schedule II pharmaceuticals Percocet and Adderall; Schedule III pharmaceuticals Vicoprofen and Lorcet; and the Schedule IV pharmaceutical Xanax. In the plea agreement, Astin admitted that he knowingly violated federal law by illegally writing prescriptions for 19 patients. Astin was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, followed by 3 years supervised release and 250 hours community service. He was ordered to pay a special assessment of $17,500. Name: AUZINE, Donald, MD City, State: Prairieville, LA Date of Arrest: 05/13/2008 Date of Conviction:
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