Other local doctors also arrested during federal crackdown
A Floyd County doctor who was arrested in a federal drug crackdown alongside 60 others in April pleaded guilty in federal court last week.
U.S. District Court Judge Gregory F. VanTatenhove accepted a guilty plea from Mohammed A.H. Mazmundar on Oct. 17. Mazmundar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
VanTatenhove ordered Mazmundar to be released pending his sentencing, which will be held on Feb. 19, 2020.
Mazumdar, 44, who operated Appalachian Primary Care in Prestonsburg, admitted that federal prosecutors could have proven he conspired to distribute those drugs if the case went to trial.
The plea agreement filed with the court states that Mazmundar understands that he could face up to 20 years and a $1 million fine.
He agreed to complete a full financial disclosure statement for federal prosecutors and he agreed not to transfer or dispose of any money or assets without approval of the U.S. Attorney’s office.
In this case, Mazmundar was also originally charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, four counts of healthcare fraud and three charges of distribution of controlled substances.
Federal authorities allege in the indictment that he unlawfully distributed controlled substances to patients of Appalachian Primary Care and another clinic by pre-signing prescriptions or directing unlicensed clinic employees to meet with patients while he was away and call-in controlled substance prescriptions in his name. He was among five local healthcare officials who were arrested during the federal crackdown in April.
The federal trial started this week for Scotty Akers, 37, of Fields Way, Pikeville, and his live-in girlfriend and former office manager, Serissa Collier, also known as Serissa Stamper. They were also arrested on charges of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and six counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. Federal authorities allege that Akers signed prescriptions for people who communicated with Collier on Facebook, and Collier, the statement said, then allegedly delivered the signed prescriptions to prearranged retail parking lots in exchange for cash.
Other local doctors arrested during the federal crackdown included Dr. Sai Gutti, 60, whose Neurology Clinic Pain Management businesses are located in Pikeville, South Williamson and Harold. Gutti faces eight counts of federal health care fraud for allegedly devising a scheme to repeatedly bill Medicare, Medicaid and other health insurers for medically unnecessary urine drug testing.
Floyd County dentist Dr. Denver Tackett, 64, of McDowell, on charges of health care fraud and 15 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. Federal officials allege Tackett wrote prescriptions for opioids that had no legitimate medical purpose and were outside the usual course of professional practice. They also alleged that he removed teeth unnecessarily, scheduled unnecessary follow-up appointments and billed inappropriately for other services.
His trial is currently set to begin in January.
Floyd County Chronicle and Times
Its way past time to go after the real drug dealers in Eastern KY! If they had started enforcement in the doctors office years ago, so very many kids and adults would still be with their families. The sheriffs of the 90s were out pulling up pot plants and claiming “a war on drugs”, same thing in the 2000s, and the same thing now. Many people would get nervous every time law enforcement pulled up a pot plant and have to take a ‘Xanax’ the doctor put them on. Or they would have a minor pain and take an ‘Oxy, or a Loratab or better yet get a Demoral shot, for something an Alieve could have solved. But NO, they took their medicine! The doctor put them on it, so it had to be safe…right? While America waged a war on drugs since 1973, the problem got a hell of a lot worse, and who can we thank? DOCTORS! There a lot more doctors that haven’t been caught, and perhaps they never will? The way people think gives me a pain in the a$$, wonder what I can take for that?