January 2, 2024 - How Authorities Have Shuttered Georgia Pain Clinics Massive Pain Pill Distributions

Investigation Reports. Oxycodone was a money-maker for these criminal enterprises operating as pain management clinics or medical clinics. Red Flags: These centers received many patients daily, including people from out of state, accepting cash payments only for prescription pills.

One cash-only pain clinic paid doctors to prescribe opioids to nearly all patients who visited the center, resulting in the illegal distribution of more than three million oxycodone pills and generating $9 million in cash. Many of these facilities were located in unusual locations for a medical-type office, in small towns near a highway, or in low-poverty areas.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all pain management clinics are engaged in criminal activity. Many of the clinics across the state are operating legally and employ trained personnel and doctors who treat patients who legitimately suffer from pain.

Previously, pain clinics in Georgia were unregulated. By the early 2000s, a cottage industry sprang up—pain management clinics where those with complaints of chronic pain were supposed to find long-term solutions but instead found legal prescriptions for massive doses of oxycodone and other pills. There were no rules. Anyone could open one.

There was one key ingredient, though. Someone with legal authority to prescribe opiates was required, and that meant doctors, physician’s assistants, and nurse practitioners were in high demand.

While there are plenty of legitimate pain clinics affiliated with hospitals and hospices, pill mills are distinctly different operations that dole out scores of narcotics, such as Oxycodone, OxyContin, and Xanax.

Following the crackdown on pill mills in Florida, Georgia became an attractive haven for them because the state had been slow to implement measures like a statewide database to track prescriptions and strict regulations for pain clinics.

Legislation signed into law by Former Governor Nathan Deal helped Georgia crack down on unscrupulous pain clinics known as “pill mills” that over-prescribe pain pills, such as oxycodone, to patients.

Six Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Operating a Pill Mill in Georgia (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, January 2016)

LILBURN, GEORGIA. According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: From approximately February 2012 through January 2013, Larry Webman and Randy Webman operated an illegal enterprise, variously known as Premier Medical Management, Inc.; Premier Pain Management, Inc.; Premier Pain Management; and Premier Pain Management and Physical Therapy, located in Lilburn, Georgia.

Larry Webman and Randy Webman managed and controlled the clinic. Though neither had any medical training, they often directed the decisions of the clinic’s physician, Dr. George Williams, with respect to prescribing controlled substances. The clinic saw as many as 60 customers a day, each paying between $250 and $350 a visit. These customers almost always left with a prescription for controlled substances, which often included Oxycodone, a highly addictive painkiller.

The clinic’s customers regularly traveled long distances to obtain prescriptions for controlled substances. Most hailed from outside the state, including North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, South Carolina, and Florida. Dr. George Williams saw a customer only at the initial visit, at which time he conducted a brief examination.

Dr. George Williams, 48, of Duluth, Georgia, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy, and was sentenced to seven years in prison, and five years of supervised release. Dr. Williams has also agreed to forfeit his State of Georgia Physician’s License.

Dara Webman worked at the clinic as an Office Manager handing out prescriptions for narcotic opiates to customers in exchange for cash payments ostensibly collected for office visits. On at least one occasion, Dara Webman mailed opiate prescriptions to undercover officers posing as customers.

“Larry, Randy, and Dara Webman came to Georgia for the sole purpose of profiting from the illicit prescribing of prescription narcotics to addicts and drug dealers, without regard to the safety and well-being of our community,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “Once here, they employed the services of an unscrupulous doctor and an employee with no medical training to issue bogus prescriptions for painkillers. The abuse of prescription drugs in Georgia unfortunately has led to record levels of overdoses and addiction as well as a disturbing resurgence in heroin use by people who transition from abusing prescription pain killers to using heroin.”

Larry Webman, 68, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and engaging in a money laundering conspiracy, and was sentenced to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.

Randy Webman, 62, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and engaging in a money laundering conspiracy, and was sentenced to eleven years in prison and three years of supervised release.

Dara Webman, 31, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty to using the mail to illegally distribute drugs, and was sentenced to one year, six months in prison, and one year of supervised release.

George Borbas sponsored the visits of numerous customers to the clinic in exchange for receiving a portion of the prescription pills the customers were ultimately prescribed. Almost all customers paid cash. Larry Webman and Randy Webman personally used that money to promote the clinic’s ongoing illegal activity.

George Borbas, 54, of Raleigh, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy, and was sentenced to five years, ten months in prison.

When customers made return visits, they rarely saw the clinic’s physicians, but instead obtained additional prescriptions for controlled substances based solely upon an exam by Liz Gaitan, a clinic employee with no medical authority to do so.

Liz Gaitan, 29, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, and was sentenced to four years in prison, three years of supervised release, and $525 in restitution.

Larry Webman, Randy Webman, Dara Webman, Dr. George Williams, George Borbas, and Liz Gaitan were sentenced for illegally selling and distributing prescriptions for opiate-based narcotics and other controlled substances to addicts and drug dealers under the guise of a pain clinic in the Lilburn, Georgia area. The Webman brothers were the pain clinic owners. Dara Webman was an office manager and the daughter of Randy Webman. Dr. George Williams was a physician at the clinic. George Borbas was a patient and recruiter for the clinic. Liz Gaitan was a clinic employee.

Daniel R. Salter, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, commented, “The success of this investigation illustrates how DEA and the law enforcement community are committed to stopping prescription drug abuse which continues to plague this country. These Pill Mill operators will spend well-deserved time in prison.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Lilburn Police Department, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

A pill mill is a type of business that prescribes narcotic medications in more significant numbers than would be prescribed in regular physician offices. State and local investigators came up with the name “pill mills.” The doctors at the pill mills don’t offer education on the drugs or warnings about taking the drugs. They are often given cash, which is one reason the pill mills make so much money. Most of these doctors, clinics, and pharmacies think of an addiction as profitable. They mostly give out prescriptions for drugs like oxycodone. Some patients will travel a long way just because there aren’t any questions asked at the pill mills. Some even drive from another state to get drugs from these doctors. Doctors and their co-conspirators need to be stopped. They cast a long shadow on the work of every other physician trying to help patients.

The operation of a drug trafficking network peddling prescription drugs for profit under the guise of a medical practice not only violates the law, but it also undermines the public confidence in the healthcare profession.

Some of these money-making schemes were perpetrated through a multi-state network of pain clinics frequented by patients who have an addiction, as well as drug dealers who sought to obtain high-dosage prescription drugs like oxycodone. In some cases, the pills were sold in bulk directly to drug traffickers without the involvement of doctors, prescriptions, or patients. Proceeds from these criminal enterprises were used to promote lavish lifestyles and purchase expensive real estate, jewelry, luxury cars, private jet flights, expensive vacations, etc.

Pill Mill Operation (WXIA, YouTube Video)

Undercover investigation of Pain Management Clinic. Dr. Michael Stanley Johnston, Georgia Health Associates was shut down shortly after.

Former Georgia Doctor Admits to Unlawfully Prescribing Pain Medication to Thousands of Kentuckians (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Kentucky, October 2015)

TUCKER, GEORGIA. Dr. Michael Johnston, 58, pleaded guilty to conspiring to unlawfully distribute oxycodone. Johnston admitted that, from May 2011 until November 2011, he conspired with Joel Shumrak, the owner of a Tucker, GA, pain clinic, and others, to illegally distribute large quantities of oxycodone and Xanax to residents of numerous Kentucky counties, including Clay, Laurel, Rockcastle, Pulaski, Floyd, Knox, Bell, Pike, Jefferson, Whitley, Madison, Montgomery, Fayette, and Magoffin counties. Johnston further admitted that he ignored the fact that these Kentuckians were addicts and were likely selling the drugs for profit upon their return to Kentucky.

Dr. Johnston, who had previously practiced as a pediatrician, acknowledged that he had no formal training or experience in prescribing adult pain medication, prior to being hired by Shumrak. According to Johnson’s plea agreement, many of the patients were seen by non-physicians, who then recommended prescriptions, allowing the clinic to increase the number of patients that could be seen in a day.

Dr. Johnson also admitted that he provided little or no physical examination to many of these patients, before providing the prescriptions; he made no referrals for surgery or other medical exams; and he was encouraged to see as many patients, per day, as possible.

Court records also show that Shumrak’s clinic did not even accept medical insurance, operating on a cash-only basis. Shumrak has also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA in Kentucky, Georgia, Florida and Ohio.

Pill Mill Bill Becomes Law in Georgia (Andria Simmons, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 3, 2013)

An earlier investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that convicted felons owned numerous pain clinics, and many of the owners came from Florida, fleeing that state’s ramped-up enforcement efforts.

For example, according to DeKalb County Prosecutors, William Benton and his business partner Malcolm Dwayne Garrett relocated to Georgia in 2011 after their two clinics in Fort Lauderdale came under heat. The two men opened a clinic in Chamblee, which they later relocated to Sandy Springs. Prosecutors alleged that the owners made millions selling oxycodone to clients from as far away as Texas and Ohio. Benton and Garrett were indicted on racketeering charges in DeKalb County.

Georgia Investigations and Indictments

Atlanta Doctor and Houston Clinic Owner Sentenced to Prison for $5 Million Pill Mill Scheme (FOX 5 Atlanta Staff Writers, November 17, 2023)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA. Dr. Jonathan Rosenfield, 40, and clinic owner Elmer Taylor, 44, of Houston, Texas received sentences of 10 and 12 years in prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges related to the unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances.

Court documents revealed that Dr. Rosenfield owned, operated, and served as a physician at two Sunnyside Medical pill-mill clinics, operating under the name Sunnyside Wellness. Taylor was a co-owner and co-operator of the clinics. The duo, along with accomplices, issued prescriptions for opioids, including approximately 752,000 pills of oxycodone and 419,000 pills of hydrocodone, using Rosenfield’s name. These prescriptions were not in the usual course of professional practice and lacked a legitimate medical purpose. Individuals paid by drug dealers were often used as fake patients, and the pills were diverted to the illegal market. Between May 2018 and August 2019, the Sunnyside Medical clinics generated approximately $5,478,000 from selling these prescription drugs.

The Dangers of Pill Mills

Pill mills are extremely dangerous because they make it easy for people to abuse opioids. Opioids are a type of drug that is highly addictive and can be very harmful, even deadly, when misused. People who get opioids from a pill mill are more likely to misuse them because they don’t have to go through the proper channels to get the drugs. This means that more people are at risk of developing an addiction to opioids, and more people are likely to overdose on these drugs.

Pill mills also contribute to the overall opioid epidemic because they make it easy for people to get their hands on these drugs. Pill mills are often located in areas with a lot of poverty, and people may not have the money to pay for legitimate medical care. They’re likelier to turn to pill mills to get their needed drugs.

Savannah, Georgia: Physician Sentenced to Prison After Admitting Conspiracy to Illegally Distribute Drugs (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia, October 27, 2022)

DOUGLAS, GEORGIA. A Coffee County Physician was sentenced to five years in federal prison after he admitted to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed massive amounts of addictive controlled substances from pain management and addiction clinics.

Dr. Wallace Steven Anderson, 68, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute and Dispense Schedule IV Controlled Substances, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also fined Anderson $35,000 and ordered him to serve a period of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

As part of his plea agreement, Anderson forfeited more than $200,000 in cash and three vehicles. He agreed to pay a total of $46,378.61 in restitution, which included paying the funeral expense for one individual who fatally overdosed on drugs provided through the conspiracy.

“Dr. Anderson betrayed his oath and betrayed his medical credentials to illegally dole out significant amounts of addictive drugs, including opioids, fueling our communities’ addiction crisis while lining his pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our law enforcement partners for their stellar efforts in shutting down this white-coated dope-dealer.”

Anderson was the owner of Steve Anderson, PC, and Steve Anderson Behavioral Health, both located in Douglas, GA. In pleading guilty, Anderson admitted that from Feb. 1, 2016, to Sept. 30, 2020, his nominal pain management and addiction facilities distributed alprazolam, temazepam, and clonazepam “not for legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of professional practice” by providing pre-signed refill prescriptions before patient examinations.

The investigation of the practice determined that the conspiracy issued nearly 160,000 prescriptions for controlled substances while ignoring numerous “red flags,” indicating that the prescriptions were not issued for legitimate medical purposes.

Two employees at the clinics, Bridgett Stephanie Taylor, 55, of Broxton, GA., a Nurse Practitioner who worked under Anderson, and Wandle Keith Butler, 57, of Douglas, a Physician Assistant who worked under Anderson, were sentenced after each pled guilty to Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute and Dispense Schedule IV Controlled Substances. Judge Baker sentenced Taylor to 48 months’ probation and fined her $20,000, while Butler was sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,296.29 in restitution.

“Americans rely on physicians and other healthcare providers to help their patients and to ‘do no harm.’ This pill-peddling physician and his co-conspirators violated the law and betrayed the responsibilities of their profession by unlawfully dispensing highly addictive controlled substances,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The law enforcement community is committed to stopping unscrupulous medical professionals from harming patients.”

“This case serves as an important reminder that healthcare professionals have a duty to prescribe medication responsibly to ensure the well-being of patients under their care. Failing to do so can endanger patients and undermine critical, ongoing public health measures to address the illegal distribution of opioids,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our agency, working with law enforcement partners, will continue to hold bad actors accountable.”

“Our job as law enforcement is to seek out those responsible for supplying poison, from the street-level dealers to the professional dealers in lab coats. Years of negligence from three medical professionals causing destruction and pain has come to an end with the sentencing of Dr. Anderson.,” said Jeff Davis County Sheriff Preston Bohannon. “Jeff Davis County, Coffee County, Bacon County, and other surrounding counties have witnessed the wave of destruction in our communities. I personally want to thank our county investigators that were involved in this case for an outstanding job and the federal agencies for trusting our work and integrity. I’d like to congratulate the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and all other agencies involved for a successful case. I pray that the families impacted by this can finally have some closure and peace.”

Jacksonville Pharmacist, Pharmacy Owner Sentenced for Illegally Filling Drug Prescriptions Issued by South Georgia ‘Pill Mill’ Doctor (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia, July 22, 2022)

BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA: A pharmacist and a pharmacy owner were sentenced for a white-coat operation that illegally distributed more than half a million opioid pills and other drugs.

Gilbert Nelson Weise Jr., 58, of Fleming Island, Florida, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, fined $5,000, and ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Weise previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Dispense Schedule IV Controlled Substances.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also sentenced Amy G. Taylor, 43, of Green Cove Springs, Florida, to four years of probation and a $5,000 fine after she pled guilty.

“These defendants opened the floodgates to opioid abuse by unlawfully dispensing massive amounts of prescription drugs into an uncontrolled environment,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “They hid behind their lab coats and professional affiliations to become nothing more than illegal drug dealers.”

Five others were previously sentenced after pleading guilty for their roles in the criminal activity, which spanned from about October 2014 through June 2017, primarily in St. Mary’s, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida. David Joseph Muyres, 60, of Fleming Island, Florida; Mark Alan Ciopryna, 53, of Jacksonville, Florida; and Silverly Ann May, 51, of St. Augustine, Florida. Courtney G. Gilley, 42, of Fleming Island, FL., and Rhonda G. Weise, 65, of Fleming Island, FL, served probationary terms after pleading guilty. The eighth defendant, a physician, was charged in the indictment but was determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial.

“Addressing the diversion and abuse of opioids, as well as other controlled pharmaceuticals, continues to be one of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s top priorities,’’ said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The defendants in this case admitted to running a ‘pill mill’ and dispensing large quantities of controlled substances. This investigation was a success because of the spirited level of law enforcement cooperation.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Gilbert Weise Jr. and others conspired to dispense hydromorphone, oxycodone, and hydrocodone, among other drugs, for no legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice, through prescriptions from a nominal pain management clinic known as Coastline Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Inc., in St. Mary’s, Georgia.

Coastline generated significant amounts of cash by illegally dispensing controlled substances to drug-seeking customers who typically paid approximately $300 cash in exchange for prescriptions. When pharmacies began refusing to fill Coastline’s prescriptions because of suspected improper dispensation, Gilbert Weise Jr. was recruited to fill Coastline’s prescriptions at the Weise Prescription Shop in Jacksonville.

Evidence presented in court revealed that Weise unlawfully dispensed more than 500,000 pain pills, sold 100,000 hydromorphone pills to a drug dealer for $100,000, and frequently filled stacks of pain pill prescriptions presented and paid for by multiple drug dealers.

During the conspiracy, Weise Prescription Shop, a small locally owned pharmacy, was the top purchaser of hydrocodone powder in the United States and the eighth largest purchaser of oxycodone powder in the United States. Weise Prescription Shop purchased more than 17 kilograms of opioid powder to meet the high demand for opioids from Coastline.

In 2015, Amy Taylor, along with Gilbert Weise Jr.’s wife, Rhonda Weise, and Rhonda Weise’s daughter, Courtney Gilley, purchased Coastal RX Pharmacy in Jacksonville, Florida. Coastal RX Pharmacy began filling large numbers of Coastline’s illegal prescriptions shortly after its acquisition. Coastal RX was financed in part with a $120,000 loan from Ciopryna. Ciopryna loaned the money with the understanding that it would be repaid in installments of opioid pills that he could then sell on the street for profit. Each of the three co-owners of Coastal RX Pharmacy admitted that they knew of and concealed the unlawful conspiracy.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savannah Resident Office and Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office Investigator Charles Sikes and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr., Matthew A. Josephson, and Karl I. Knoche.

Medical Doctor, Pharmacists, and 11 Others Charged with Operating Illegal Pill Mills (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, December 2021)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA. Anthony Mills, M.D., was a licensed physician with a specialty listed with the Georgia Composite Medical Board of Gynecology. Mills, however, did not maintain a gynecology practice at any address listed with Medical Board or the DEA. Instead, he allegedly operated a pill mill out of his Atlanta-area home, where he allegedly sold prescriptions to addicts and drug-dealing sponsors in exchange for cash payments.

Despite Dr. Mills’s specialization in gynecology, many of the “patients” to whom Mills provided prescriptions were male. A large number of the prescriptions allegedly were provided to sponsors, including defendants Thomika Riley, Brittany Tinker, Natalie Jackson, Keandre Bates, Jeana Alston, Javon Hamilton, Chafulumisa Lisbon, Marcena Jordan, and Travious Polain, in the names of third parties that Mills had never evaluated, and in many cases had never met.

Some of the prescriptions that Mills issued to sponsors were for individuals whose identities had been stolen, who were incarcerated at the time of the prescription, or who were deceased at the time of the prescription. Mills also allegedly allowed Rogerick Smith and Natalie Jackson, who were not medical professionals, to sell prescriptions they wrote using Mills’ name and DEA registration number.

An Atlanta-area Gynecologist, two pharmacists, and ten other individual accomplices or pill “sponsors” have been indicted, charged with the alleged illegal sale and distribution of controlled substances to addicts and drug dealers.

The indictment also alleges that Raphael Ogunsusi operated two pharmacies – Evansmill Pharmacy and Retox Pharmacy – for the purpose of unlawfully dispensing and distributing controlled substances. Ogunsusi, as well as pharmacist Moses Kirigwi, dispensed a large number of prescriptions issued by Mills and others, that were presented by sponsors in the names of third parties. Ogunsusi and Kirigwi dispensed these prescriptions despite the fact that they were in excess of medically appropriate dosages and combinations and despite obvious signs that the pills were being abused, sold, or otherwise diverted.

Most of the controlled substance prescriptions dispensed at Evansmill Pharmacy and Retox Pharmacy were written by Mills, including prescriptions filled by sponsors in the names of individuals were not present, and in many cases, whose identities had been stolen. Ogunsusi and Kirigwi often charged over $900 to fill a single prescription for oxycodone and $500 to fill a prescription of Percocet, well above the market value for legitimate prescriptions.

To disguise the significantly inflated prices that he charged for the illegal controlled substance prescriptions, Ogunsusi allegedly falsified the pricing information on his pharmacy computers to give the appearance that he had charged market prices for the controlled substances. Ogunsusi and Kirigwi also required sponsors to purchase additional non-controlled substances that the sponsors neither wanted or needed, which further maximized Ogunsusi’s profits for the illegal dispensing and distributing of controlled substances.

The following were arrested and arraigned on federal drug charges for their respective roles in operating “pill mills:”

Anthony Mills, 55, of Atlanta, Georgia,
Raphael Ogunsusi, 69, of Conyers, Georgia,
Moses Kirigwi, 29, of Brookhaven, Georgia,
Thomika Riley, 48, of McDonough, Georgia,
Brittany Tinker, 28, of Lithonia, Georgia,
Natalie Jackson, 37, of Stone Mountain, Georgia,
Rogerick Smith, 43, of Douglasville, Georgia,
Keandre Bates, 29, of Decatur, Georgia,
Chafulumisa Lisbon, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia,
Javon Hamilton, 32, of Bluffton, South Carolina,
Marcena Jordan, 28, of Forest Park, Georgia.

Raphael Ogunsusi was also indicted individually on money laundering charges.

“While in the midst of this country’s prescription opioid epidemic, removing and ultimately eliminating physicians who recklessly overprescribe pharmaceutical pills (particularly prescribed opioids) for non-medical reasons, is an important part of DEA’s mission,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division.

“This pill peddling gynecologist allegedly distributed large quantities of opiate-based pills to scores of drug-seeking patients. He, and his accomplices, will no longer be able to commit such unlawful acts thanks to spirited law enforcement cooperation.”

“This indictment should serve as a warning to any medical professional considering operating a pill mill,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office.

Physician Sentenced For His Role in Prolific Georgia Pill Mills (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Georgia, April 4, 2019)

VALDOSTA, GEORGIA. The final defendant involved in a multi-city pill mill conspiracy was sentenced to 72 months in prison. Dr. Vinod Shah, 69, of Salisbury, NC, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to dispense controlled substances outside the usual course of medical practice and a legitimate medical purpose and was sentenced to prison. Dr. Shah served three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Dr. Shah joined seven other co-defendants who were sentenced for their roles in operating pill mills at The Wellness Center of Valdosta and The Relief Institute of Columbus, where tens of thousands of prescriptions for highly addictive opioids were dispensed to people and more than $2 million in cash was paid out by patients seeking prescriptions.

Dr. Shah was recruited after a long career in medicine and was employed from 2012-2013, first training in Valdosta under co-defendant Dr. William Bacon, 83, of St. Johns, FL. There, he was taught to prescribe “cocktails” of Oxycodone and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax). In Columbus, Dr. Shah saw, at most, 45 patients a day, and the clinic stayed open late into the evening to see patients coming in from out of state. The clinics operated on a “cash only” basis. Patients paid $325 in cash for the first visit and $250 for subsequent visits. Almost every patient seen by Dr. Shah had a diagnosis of low back pain and was prescribed large quantities of two different dosages of Oxycodone and Alprazolam. Dr. Shah admitted in his plea agreement that many of the patients he saw were seeking drugs, and many had no legitimate need for the prescriptions that were written. Dr. Shah also admitted that he did not adequately examine the patients and deliberately ignored obvious signs that the clinics were operating outside the legitimate practice of medicine. Dr. Shah was paid $1,200 a day during his employment.

“There is no excuse for doctors and health care professionals who turn away from their oath to ethically care for sick people and instead prescribe opioids to addicts in return for cash,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District. “The opioid epidemic is a scourge and is creating serious harm in every pocket of our society. Law enforcement is working to root out those in the medical field illegally profiting from others’ destruction.”

A total of seven co-defendants in this case were sentenced in December 2018. Dr. Bacon was sentenced to 72 months in prison and the forfeiture of over $95,000. Dr. Donatus O. Mbanefo, 65, of Columbus, GA, was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Following a two-week trial that began on May 29, 2018, a Valdosta jury found both Dr. Bacon and Dr. Mbanefo guilty of conspiracy to dispense controlled substances outside the usual course of medical practice and a legitimate medical purpose. Dr. Mbanefo was also convicted of two additional counts of unlawful dispensation of controlled substances.

Five co-conspirators previously entered guilty pleas for their involvement in or knowledge and concealment of the conspiracy and were sentenced in federal court.

On charges of conspiracy:

Carol Neema Biggs, a/k/a Carol Johnson, 33, of Hollywood, Florida: 60 months imprisonment, plus 36 months consecutive in prison for a total of 96 months’ imprisonment

Junior Alexander Biggs, 40, of Hollywood, Florida: 50 months imprisonment, plus 36 months consecutive in prison for a total of 86 months imprisonment

Nilaja C. Biggs, 36 of Hialeah, Florida: 36 months imprisonment

On charges of knowledge and concealment of the conspiracy:

Shavonta Devon Bright, 35 of Miami, Florida: 3 years probation

Ionie Whorms, 55 of Goose Creek, South Carolina: 3 years probation

Evidence presented during the 2018 trial of Dr. Bacon and Dr. Mbanefo showed that co-conspirators Carol Biggs, Nilija Biggs, and Junior Biggs formed the Wellness Center of Valdosta (WCV) in June 2011, located at 2016 E. Adair Street, to operate as a pain clinic. Dr. Bacon began working there in September 2011 and saw patients until the clinic closed. The clinic saw unrealistically large numbers of patients daily, including people from out of state, and accepted no forms of insurance or government benefits but took cash payments only. No diagnostic testing was offered, and no alternative treatments outside prescribing large quantities of a “cocktail” of pain medications and other controlled substances were offered to patients. The “cocktail” generally included such highly addictive controlled substances as Oxycodone and Xanax but also included Hydromorphone, Hydrocodone, Soma, Valium, and Ambien. During the approximately 27 months during which Dr. Bacon worked at the Wellness Center of Valdosta, he wrote more than 29,000 prescriptions for controlled substances.

In June 2012, Carol and Junior Biggs opened another pain clinic in Columbus, known as the Relief Institute of Columbus. The Relief Institute of Columbus operated in the same fashion as the Wellness Center of Valdosta by unlawfully dispensing controlled substances. Dr. Mbanefo saw patients at the Relief Institute between mid-March 2013 and mid-June 2013. During those three months, Dr. Mbanefo wrote more than 2,900 prescriptions for controlled substances, including prescribing large quantities of Oxycodone and Xanax to an undercover agent who had no legitimate medical issues. The doctors at both clinics were paid $1,200 to $1,400 per day to see patients, with a bonus for Dr. Bacon when he saw more than 40 patients in a single day. During the operation of the two clinics, patients made cash payments of more than $2 million.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.

Two Doctors and Clinic Owners Sentenced for Operating Pill Mills in Metro Atlanta (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, June 26, 2017)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA. A pain clinic owner, an office manager who was also the wife of the owner, and two doctors have been sentenced for illegally prescribing painkillers to known addicts and drug dealers at three pain clinics in metropolitan Atlanta. Godfrey and Bona Ilonzo, as well as Dr. Nevorn Askari and Dr. William Richardson, were sentenced to terms in prison between four and 12 years for federal drug and money laundering charges for their respective roles in operating the AMARC “pill mills.”

“The roots of our current heroin and fentanyl crisis are found in the opiate abuse epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “Like many other states, Georgia continues to experience the devastating toll of this epidemic on its citizens. Yet, these defendants willingly exploited desperate drug addicts by feeding their addictions in order to turn a profit.”

“These drug traffickers, dressed in white lab coats, can no longer cause damage to those addicted to pain medicine. These rogue “medical field” employees will now have plenty of time to reflect on the damages they have caused while serving their sentences in federal prison. DEA and our state and local partners remain committed to keeping our communities safe,” said Dan Salter, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Atlanta Field Division.

“The diversion of dangerous prescription drugs is a public health epidemic that is crippling communities throughout the country,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey. “It makes matters much worse when the individuals responsible for medical care are also illegally supplying lethal drugs. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to work with our partners to dismantle these deadly drug trafficking organizations and seek justice for the harm caused to the community.”

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: In May 2009, agents of the Tactical Diversion Squad of the DEA learned that doctors at the AMARC clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, were prescribing pain pills outside the bounds of legitimate medical practice to drug addicts and drug dealers. Subsequently, DEA, working with IRS and officers from other state and local agencies, learned that Godfrey Ilonzo financed and operated at least eight clinics in the Atlanta area under the “AMARC” name, including the pain clinic in Atlanta and two other pain clinics under different names; one in Tyrone, Georgia, and one other in Atlanta.

Bona Ilonzo (Godfrey Ilonzo’s wife) served as the office manager at the main AMARC pain clinic. At various times, Askari and Richardson served as the primary doctors for the AMARC pain clinics. Law enforcement also learned that Rosemary Ofume and Donatus Iriele operated Medicine Center Pharmacy in Atlanta and illegitimately dispensed pain pills to AMARC customers.

The Ilonzos asked Dr. Askari and Dr. Richardson to prescribe Oxycodone pills and other opiates to addicts and distributors. Many of those customers traveled to the AMARC clinics from counties throughout Georgia and from other states (including Alabama and Ohio). Customers waited for hours at one AMARC pain clinic and paid cash to receive prescriptions for Oxycodone/Hydrocodone, Xanax, and Soma (the “holy trinity”) for resale on the street. Askari and Richardson issued prescriptions for medically inappropriate and potentially lethal combinations of Oxycodone, Alprazolam, Hydrocodone, and other controlled substances without conducting adequate medical examinations. After seeing a patient once, Askari would repeatedly “pre-sign” prescriptions for the same amounts and types of controlled substances without ever seeing the patient again in person while falsely indicating in the patient’s file that she had conducted an in-person examination of the patient.

After customers received illegitimate prescriptions from AMARC, clinic staff told customers to fill their prescriptions across the street at a pharmacy operated by Ofume and Iriele. Employees at the AMARC clinics and pharmacies received discounts and special treatment, including free office visits and reduced prices for pills dispensed at the pharmacy.

During the conspiracy, the AMARC clinics generated more than $3 million from unlawful prescriptions. Godfrey and Bona Ilonzo used that money to recruit additional physicians and patients to the AMARC pain clinics, open additional clinics under the “AMARC” name, purchase property, and send their children to expensive private schools.

U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones imposed sentences on the four AMARC defendants as follows:

Godfrey Ilonzo, 66, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Godfrey Ilonzo pleaded guilty to charges related to a drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy on February 16, 2017.
Bona Ilonzo, 54, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was sentenced 8 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Bona Ilonzo pleaded guilty to charges related to a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Dr. Nevorn Askari, 61, of Monroe, Georgia, was sentenced 5 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Dr. Askari pleaded guilty to her involvement in this drug trafficking conspiracy.

Dr. William Richardson, 63, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 4 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Dr. Richardson pleaded guilty for his involvement in this drug trafficking conspiracy.

Dr. Askari and Dr. Richardson voluntarily surrendered their medical licenses to the Georgia Composite Board of Medicine.

As part of their sentences, Judge Jones also ordered Godfrey and Bona Ilonzo to forfeit approximately $20,000 in seized funds, and he entered personal money judgments of $1.5 million against each of them.

On March 24, 2017, after a three-week jury trial, Rosemary Ofume and Donatus Iriele were convicted on federal drug and money laundering charges for illegally dispensing controlled narcotics to AMARC customers.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Boatright, Cassandra Schansman, and Michael Brown prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following website www.justthinktwice.gov.

The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

Two Pharmacists Convicted for Illegally Dispensing to Patients of a Pill Mill (Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency, March 29, 2017)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – Rosemary Ofume and Donatus Iriele, the husband and wife owners of Medicine Center Pharmacy, were convicted after a three-week jury trial on federal drug and money laundering charges for illegally dispensing controlled narcotics to customers of the “pill mill” pain clinic across the street. They were convicted of a drug trafficking conspiracy, three counts of illegally dispensing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice, and a money laundering conspiracy, in connection with their operation of Medicine Center Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, Iriele was convicted individually of five counts of concealment of money laundering and laundering more than $10,000 of criminally derived property.

“Like the rest of the country, the state of Georgia continues to experience the devastating impact of the opiate epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “These defendants used their pharmacy to supply pills to patients of a known “pill mill.” Physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals that prey on drug addicts and feed their addictions in order to make a profit are simply drug dealers in white coats.”

Daniel R. Salter, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, said, “It is a sad commentary when trusted individuals in the medical community hide behind the veil of legitimacy to commit criminal acts. These pharmacists can no longer fill the opiate cravings of pill-seeking addicts with impunity. Owners and operators of pill mills spin a broad web of deception, reeling in casts of thousands who are addicted to pharmaceutical drugs. This investigation was a success because of the spirited level of law enforcement cooperation.”

“The reckless, illegal dispensing of controlled substances results in addiction and death,” said James E. Dorsey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “The abuse of Oxycodone and other controlled substances has become an epidemic which is destroying lives and communities throughout the country. Rosemary Ofume, Donatus Iriele, and others who operate pill mills in the Northern District of Georgia can expect to be investigated, prosecuted, and sent to prison in the same way as other drug traffickers who push poison in our communities.”

“These convictions have removed a huge tumor from the cancer that illicit drug distribution has become during our lifetime. The hard work invested in this case by all parties, from the U.S. Attorney’s office to the boots on the ground front-line drug agents and everyone in between, proves what dedication, persistence, and cooperation can accomplish. It’s proof positive that just because you have a license to practice pharmacy, you aren’t entitled to put illicitly prescribed drugs on the street and contribute to the skyrocketing opioid addiction and overdose death rates. All healthcare professionals are on notice to remember: you are to do no harm. And if you intentionally ignore this charge, you are going to be treated the same as a street-corner drug dealer in this war on opioid abuse,” said Rick Allen, Director, Georgia Drugs & Narcotics Agency.

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: In May 2009, agents of the DEA, working with agents for the IRS, began investigating the AMARC pain clinic, located in Atlanta, Georgia, and nearby Medicine Center Pharmacy, after receiving information that the clinic and pharmacy were illegitimately prescribing and dispensing pain pills to drug addicts and drug dealers.

The investigation revealed that Godfrey Ilonzo financed and operated at least eight clinics in the metro Atlanta area under the “AMARC” name, including the Lakewood pain clinic and one in Tyrone, Georgia. Bona Ilonzo (Godfrey Ilonzo’s wife) served as the office manager at the Lakewood AMARC pain clinic. At various times, Dr. Nevorn Askari and Dr. William Richardson served as the primary doctors for the AMARC pain clinics. Rosemary Ofume and Donatus Iriele operated the Medicine Center Pharmacy across the street from one of the pain clinics. Godfrey and Bona Ilonzo, as well as Drs. Askari and Richardson pleaded guilty to charges related to their conduct at the clinic.

Ofume and Iriele worked together with the Ilonzos and Drs. Askari and Richardson to facilitate the dispensing of Oxycodone pills and other opiates to addicts and distributors. After customers received prescriptions from Askari and Richardson for medically inappropriate and potentially lethal combinations of opiates and other controlled substances, clinic staff told customers to fill their prescriptions across the street at “Rosemary’s Pharmacy” (Medicine Center Pharmacy operated by Ofume and Iriele). Many of those customers traveled to the AMARC clinics and Ofume/Iriele’s pharmacy from counties throughout Georgia and from other states (including Alabama and Ohio).

Customers waited for hours at the Lakewood AMARC pain clinic and paid cash to receive prescriptions for Oxycodone or Hydrocodone, Xanax, and Soma (the “holy trinity” for resale on the street) before purchasing the pills at high prices from Ofume and Iriele’s pharmacy. Employees at the AMARC clinics and Ofume and Iriele’s pharmacy received discounts and special treatment, including free office visits and reduced prices for pills dispensed at the pharmacy. Ofume lied to pharmaceutical distributors to procure astronomical quantities of Oxycodone and other prescription pain pills that were then dispensed to customers having obvious signs of addiction or drug diversion. Significantly, in 2009, Medicine Center Pharmacy purchased eleven times more Oxycodone than the average pharmacy in Georgia.

During the conspiracy, Ofume and Iriele generated more than $5.1 million from unlawful prescriptions issued by doctors affiliated with the AMARC clinics (constituting more than 90% of the pharmacy’s revenue). Iriele used pharmacy proceeds to purchase three luxury vehicles for his and Ofume’s personal use. Iriele and Ofume also laundered pharmacy proceeds by purchasing vehicles in the United States for individuals in Nigeria while concealing that those customers then deposited local Nigerian currency into Iriele’s Nigerian bank account.

Previously, in 2007, the Georgia Board of Pharmacy revoked Iriele’s pharmacy license (and temporarily suspended Ofume’s pharmacy license) after finding that Ofume and Iriele had failed to account for more than 600,000 controlled substances pills at their pharmacies and had dispensed controlled substances pursuant to more than 1,400 forged prescriptions.

Previously, Godfrey Ilonzo, 66, of Alpharetta, Georgia, and Bona Ilonzo, 54, of Alpharetta, Georgia, the husband-wife owners of the illegal pain clinic, and two doctors who worked at the clinic pleaded guilty to federal drug and money laundering charges in connection with in the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Godfrey Ilonzo pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.

Bona Ilonzo pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy;

Dr. Nevorn Askari, 61, of Monroe, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy;

Dr. William Richardson, 63, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Based on the convictions, Ofume and Iriele were ordered to forfeit to the United States $16,767 in cash seized from the pharmacy, $133,892.74 in funds seized from the pharmacy’s bank account, a 2009 BMW X5, a 2008 Mercedes Benz ML550, a 2007 BMW X5, and Rosemary Ofume’s Georgia Pharmacist license. In addition, the government sought money judgments equal to the amount of proceeds defendants obtained from their illegal drug trafficking and the amount of money laundered.

Georgia Doctor Pleads Guilty in Pill Mill Case (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia, August 22, 2016)

BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA. Dr. Paul Spencer Ruble, 63, from Thomson, Georgia, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to dispense controlled substances and launder money unlawfully.

The information to which Ruble pleaded charged that beginning in November 2011, he and other conspirators began operating Apex Health & Wellness, Inc., a Phony Pain Management Clinic, from a building located at 6129 New Jesup Highway, Brunswick, Georgia. The clinic employed Ruble, a licensed and registered medical doctor, to work at Apex Health & Wellness, Inc. Between November 2011 and April 24, 2013, drug-seeking customers typically paid between $200 and $300 cash to Apex Health & Wellness in exchange for prescriptions for controlled substances issued outside the usual course of professional practice and without legitimate medical purpose.

Ruble wrote prescriptions for vast quantities of controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and alprazolam (Xanax), outside the usual course of professional practice and without legitimate medical purpose. An average of 30 drug-seeking patients were seen per day at the clinic during its 17 months of operation. A typical patient could expect to receive a prescription for 168 oxycodone 30 mg tablets, 112 oxycodone 15 mg tablets, and 28 to 56 2 mg alprazolam tablets.

The Apex Health & Wellness Clinic was shuttered on April 24, 2013, when a federal search warrant was executed. The unlawful business was very profitable until it was shut down. During the conspiracy, more than 400 deposits were made to the bank account of Apex Health & Wellness. These deposits mainly were comprised of cash paid by patients at Apex Health & Wellness for controlled substances prescribed without legitimate medical purpose. The deposits totaled over $1.8 million, including over $1.7 million cash deposits. Ruble was paid just under $500,000 for his services at Apex, which he then laundered through several other bank accounts.

The convictions in this matter resulted from a joint investigation by the DEA, GBI, Glynn-Brunswick Narcotics Enforcement Team (GBNET), IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the United States Marshals Service. The investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the keystone drug enforcement program of the Department of Justice.

United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “The devastation caused to human lives by prescription drug abuse cannot be overstated. Patients at pill mills such as this one can expect to lose money, health, time, family, employment, and happiness. The heroin epidemic, which is sweeping many parts of the country, can be traced directly to these phony medical clinics where the owners and doctors prosper and the patients suffer grievously. Persons who operate pill mills in the Southern District of Georgia can expect to be investigated, prosecuted, and sent to prison in the same way as other drug traffickers who push poison in our communities.”

Daniel R. Salter, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, said, “It is a sad commentary when a trusted person in the medical community attempts to hide behind the veil of legitimacy to commit criminal acts. The reckless distribution of pharmaceuticals results in addiction and death. Many thanks to the hard-working law enforcement partners who worked this case.”

Jamie Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the GBI Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, observed, “This investigation shows that the GBI, in conjunction with Local and Federal partners, is dedicated to eradicating pill-mill operations. The prescriptions obtained from these types of pill mill clinics are most often sold or diverted on the streets, feeding pain pill addictions and ruining families and lives.”

Kevin Jones, Chief of the Brunswick Police Department, noted, “It has been a focused effort of GBNET to drive these types of illegitimate businesses out of Brunswick and Glynn County and to bring those responsible for this activity to justice.”

Many of these investigations stem from business operations of what was, in essence, a ‘pill mill’ rather than a pain clinic or medical practice focused on pain management. They reaped millions of dollars in personal profits by operating destructive opioid pill mills or phony clinics in multiple states.

State of Georgia v. Purdue Pharma, et al. (In the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia, January 3, 2019)

How Florida Spread Oxy Across America (Pat Beall, The Palm Beach Post)

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that Schedule II prescription painkillers, like oxycodone, cause more drug overdose deaths than cocaine and heroin combined. Oxycodone and other Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse and can be crushed and snorted or dissolved and injected to get an immediate high. This abuse can lead to addiction, overdose, and sometimes death.

What is Oxycodone and How Is It Used (United States Drug Enforcement Administration)

The opioid crisis and drug overdoses continue to devastate our states and local communities.

Donations to Support this Website are Always Welcome.

According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, an estimated 7,500 pill mills operate in the United States.

What Are Pill Mills?

Pill mills are places where people can get prescription drugs without a legitimate medical reason. In most cases, pill mills are run by doctors or other healthcare professionals who prescribe drugs like opioids for cash. These prescriptions are often given without any medical exam or testing, and they’re usually offered in large quantities. Pill mills fuel the opioid epidemic by making it easy for people to get their hands on these dangerous drugs.

Often, these operations are in rural areas or small towns where there aren’t many healthcare options. This means that people have to travel long distances to get to a pill mill, making it even easier for them to become addicted to the drugs they’re prescribed.

Pill mills are often located in storefronts or strip malls, and they usually don’t have any medical equipment on site. In some cases, people who work at pill mills may even dress like they’re not in a medical setting. This can make it difficult for people to know if they’re going to a legitimate doctor’s office or a pill mill.

Signs of a Pill Mill

A few signs can indicate whether or not a doctor’s office is a pill mill. First, pill mills often prescribe large quantities of drugs without requiring a medical exam or testing. They may also prescribe multiple opioids to the same patient, which is extremely dangerous. In addition, pill mills may require cash payment only, and they may not accept insurance.

If you suspect a medical office may be a pill mill, it’s important to report it to the authorities.

What Are Some Signs There Is a Pill Mill In Your Area?

Pill mills have been around in almost every one of the United States. Many are found in the Southern States. However, there are still pill mills opening up around the country. If you suspect there is a pill mill in your area, some signs to confirm this may include the following:

Cash is the only form of payment accepted.
Physical exams are not given.
Prescription pills are the only way doctors treat pain.
Crowds are formed around the building in lines.
Many cars are in and out of the building parking lot.
Pharmacists complain about the doctors.
Other businesses complain about the office or facility.
Patients aren’t in the building long for their appointments.
Shady or unusual characters around the building.
X-rays and medical records aren’t needed for appointments.
Doctors send patients to a specific pharmacy.
Patients can pick what medicine they want.
Drugs are being used and sold right outside the building.
Security guards are on the premises.

If you recognize any of these signs, you can submit your anonymous tip through the DEA online Tip Line and report the doctors or facility. If the citizens of the community report they see signs of suspicious activity, and more businesses keep an eye out for the above-mentioned signs as well, hopefully, these pill mills can be limited.

What Does the Georgia Law Say?

Here’s a summary of the most significant provisions of the law that went into effect on July 1, 2013. You can read the full text of the “Pill Mill” law here.

All pain management clinics must be licensed by the Georgia Composite Medical Board. They must renew their licenses every two years, and the Board reserves the right to deny, suspend, or revoke licenses for noncompliance.

All pain management clinics administering controlled substances must also register with the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy.

All pain management clinics formed as of June 30, 2013, or later must be owned by a physician licensed in the State of Georgia.

Pain management clinics that existed before July 1, 2013 do not have to be doctor-owned provided they adhere to certain criteria—namely, the owner cannot run more than one clinic, or the clinic must be co-owned by at least one physician and a physician’s assistant or registered nurse.

No convicted felon may own or operate a pain management clinic, nor a person who has a previously revoked license.

The Georgia Composite Medical Board is authorized to establish further guidelines for how pain management clinics may operate.

The opioid crisis and drug overdoses continue to devastate our states and local communities.

Donations to Support this Website are Always Welcome.

If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community, you can submit your anonymous tip through the DEA online Tip Line.

America’s Pain Mills (American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff, November 30, 2023)

Understanding Drug Overdoses and Deaths (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Related Investigations

How Pain Clinic Owners Turned Patients’ Pain into Enormous Profits

How State and Federal Authorities are Dismantling Pill Mills in the United States

How to Recognize a Pain Pill Mill in Your Community

Authorities Crack Down on Pharmacists Fulfilling and Dispensing Massive Amounts of Pain Pills

How Federal Agencies are Shutting Down Maryland Pain Clinics Operating as Pill Mills

How Authorities are Dismantling Ohio Pain Management Clinics Prescribing Enormous Amounts of Opioid Painkiller Pills

How Authorities are Dismantling Tennessee Pain Clinics Prescribing Massive Quantities of Opioid Pain Pills

How Authorities Are Cracking Down on Virginia Pain Clinics Massive Pain Killer Pill Operations

How Authorities Are Shutting Down Texas Pain Clinics Enormous Pill Prescriptions

How Authorities Are Cracking Down on Rogue Pain Clinics in Florida

How the George Brothers Illegal Oxycodone Pain Pill Distribution Contributed to the Drug Epidemic and Oxy-Related Overdoses in Florida

Federal and State Authorities Continue to Shutter Georgia Pain Clinics Massive Pain Pill Distributions

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