Troy Doctor Peddled 'Large Number' of Pain Pills to Street Dealers: Feds

TROY, MI – A Troy doctor allegedly conspired with three others to in a prescription drug racket that put hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of illegal painkillers on the streets, according to a federal court indictment unsealed Tuesday.

The indictment alleges that from January 2013 through April 2015, Dr. Michael Weiss, D.O., wrote a “large number” of prescriptions for highly addictive controlled substances — primarily Roxicodone and its generic equivalent, oxycodone, and promethazine cough syrup — for patients that did not exist.

Also named in the indictment were Edgarten Howard, 43; Carlos Johnson, 40; and Ricky Easley, 30, all of Detroit.

The government alleges Weiss, 63, saw the phony patients in Howard’s home, and was paid in cash by his three co-defendants, who allegedly sold the drugs on the street.

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Weiss then billed Medicare more than $250,000 and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan almost $40,000 for the prescription, according to the indictment, which also alleges Weiss submitted about 950 claims to Medicare and Blue Cross for services he never actually provided to the supposed patients.

“Diversion of prescription pills to the street market promotes the addiction to painkillers that leads to overdose deaths,” U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement. “We are focusing on charging doctors, pharmacists and the networks that are putting this poison on the streets.”

“The doctor involved in this investigation abused his position of trust and jeopardized the lives of many individuals by leading this conspiracy to distribute dangerous controlled substances onto the streets of southeast Michigan and beyond,” Plancon said. “This indictment should make it clear that the DEA and our law enforcement partners are focused on investigating and pursuing those that are illegally diverting prescription drugs into our communities.”

The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the DEA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General.

Lamont Pugh III, special agent in charge of the OIG’s Chicago Region, said doctors who contribute to the illegal prescription drug racket “will be held accountable.”

"Physicians have a responsibility to provide care that is medically necessary and is in the best interest of their patients," he said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Helland will prosecute the case.

Image credit: Philippa Willitts via Flickr / Creative Commons