They were charged with violations of Title 21,United States Code Sections 841(a)(1) and 846, which prohibit the distribution, possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. These cases were brought with assistance from the FBI, DEA, HHS-OIG, and the Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Authorities also seized $205,000 in cash, two vehicles and two firearms. Torrance Nicely, 34, was charged with trafficking fentanyl and the sale of heroin. An official website of the State of Georgia. DEPPB staff currently includes investigators who are registered pharmacists and sworn law enforcement officerswho work closely with the Kentucky State Police, Office of Attorney General, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, local law enforcement agencies and Kentucky's professional licensure boards to enforce the provisions of KRS 218A and KRS 217. Three of these cases are related to alleged pill mill operations in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Regional Investigative Offices. Primary: (706) 348-7410. Authorities also seized $205,000 in cash, two vehicles and two firearms. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, a total of five people were charged, including three doctors, a dentist and an office assistant who were charged in connection with several health care fraud and/or controlled substance schemes. In addition to the ARPO Strike Force districts, todays enforcement actions include cases brought in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Eastern District of Louisiana. 2023 Jacobs Media Corporation. Appalachia Hidta. Tennessee: If you are seeking help in Tennessee: West Virginia: If you are in West Virginia and are suffering with addiction you can find help by calling 1-844-HELP-4WV or logging in at https://HelpandHopeWV.org, For individuals seeking help in other states, please call 1-800-662-HELP. Todays announcement sends a clear message that investigations involving diversion of prescription drugshavebeen, andcontinueto be, a priority for DEA., CMS CPIis proud to work very closely everyday with our law enforcement partners to stop the exploitation of vulnerable patients and misuse of taxpayer dollars, said Deputy Administrator and Director of Center for Program Integrity Alexander. In another case, a physician charged with controlled substances and health care fraud violations allegedly prescribed approximately 300,000 hydrocodone pills, 200,000 oxycodone pills, 2,500 fentanyl patches, and 180,000 benzodiazepine pills, and prescribed medically unnecessary durable medical equipment that was billed to Medicare. The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. 2440 Old Athens Hwy Separately, a pharmacist was charged for allegedly dispensing large amounts of opioids outside the usual scope of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose. Cornelia, GA 30531, 2023The Northeast Georgian, Cornelia, Georgia. An official website of the State of Georgia. In another case, an advanced practice registered nurse at a pain management clinic allegedly wrote prescriptions for opioids that had no legitimate medical purpose and that were outside the usual course of professional practice. During the execution of the search warrants, authorities seized 2.5 kilograms of cocaine, 130 grams of crack cocaine, 100 grams of methamphetamine and 18 pounds of marijuana. Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. State of Georgia government websites and email systems use georgia.gov or ga.gov at the end of the address. KRS 218A.182 took effect Jan. 1, 2021 and mandates electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) in Kentucky. The Appalachia HIDTA mission is to enhance and coordinate drug enforcement efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies within areas designated as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas by pursuing the disruption/dismantlement of Drug Trafficking Organizations, particularly as it relates to the specific drug threat of the Appalachian region. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are anticipated. For additional information about Appalachian RDEO or to provide tips on criminal activity look for ARDEO@appalachiandtf on twitter or follow on facebook@appalachianrdeo and/or Instagram. Two doctors were charged with health care fraud violations. The following individuals were arrested during this investigation: Christopher Kyle Lee (21, Alto) possession of methamphetamine, possession of firearm during commission of crime; Jennifer Sullivan (34, Baldwin) possession of methamphetamine; Erica Bergman (31, Dacula) possession of methamphetamine; Thomas Tommy Gannon (31, Alto) trafficking methamphetamine, possession of firearm during commission of a crime, possession with intent of heroin, and possession of oxycodone; Marina Whitaker (29, Clarkesville) possession of methamphetamine with intent, and possession of heroin with intent. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The toll-free substance abuse number is 1-844-307-1760. GAPS - Georgia Applicant Processing Service, Georgia Criminal History Record Restrictions, Obtaining Criminal History Record Information. I am grateful to the Criminal Division, their U.S. Attorney partners, and to the members of the strike force for this outstanding work that holds the promise of saving many lives in Appalachian communities., Reducing the illicit supply of opioids is a crucial element of President Trumps plan to end this public health crisis, said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Drug Enforcement and Professional Practices Branch. It is also vital that Americans struggling with addiction have access to treatment and that patients who need pain treatment do not see their care disrupted, which is why federal and local public health authorities have coordinated to ensure these needs are met in the wake of this enforcement operation. The ARPO Strike Force is made up of prosecutors and data analysts with the HCF Unit, prosecutors with the 10 U.S. Attorneys Offices in the region, including the newly added Western District of Virginia, and special agents with the FBI, HHS-OIG and DEA. After a several month-long drug trafficking investigation conducted by the Banks County Sheriff's Office, Habersham County Sheriff's Office, and the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO), a search warrant was executed Friday at 741 Grant Mill Road in Alto and a traffic stop was made on Highway 365 in Cornelia. A dentist was charged for alleged conduct that included writing prescriptions for opioids that had no legitimate medical purpose and that were outside the usual course of professional practice, removing teeth unnecessarily, scheduling unnecessary follow-up appointments, and billing inappropriately for services. For any patients impacted by the law enforcement operations, DOJ, DEA, HHS-OIG, HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and all five State Departments of Health are deploying federal and state-level strategies to address patient harm and insure continuity of care. Two Gainesville men were arrested on Wednesday after a large amountof illegal drugs and cash were found at homes in Gainesville, Jefferson and Oakwood. Nowhere is this collaboration more important than in our fight against the opioid crisis in America. In addition to assistance provided by the FBI, DEA, HHS-OIG, the Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. Marshalls Service, these cases were brought in connection with assistance from the Caln Township Police. Finally, a podiatrist was charged with unlawful distribution of controlled substances. Third Floor The defendant allegedly knew that certain of these patients used their Medicare Part D and Medicaid benefits to pay for the medically unnecessary prescriptions. In another case, a doctor, a Florida compounding pharmacy and its owner were charged in connection with a scheme that involved the payment of alleged kickbacks in return for writing prescriptions for compounded drugs that included controlled substances, and for fraudulently inflating the costs for prescriptions that were billed for reimbursement by Medicare and TRICARE. Todays takedown demonstrates the FBIs unwavering commitment to working alongside our Strike Force partners, including the HHS-OIG and DEA, to fight the opioid epidemic and related criminal activity in the Appalachian region, said FBI Executive Assistant Director Hess. WGCL reports agents began investigating after they were informed about suspicious activity at the property. In addition, HHS announced today that since June 2018, it has excluded over 2,000 individuals from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and all other Federal health care programs, which includes more than 650 providers excluded for conduct related to opioid diversion and abuse. Special Agent in Charge Fred Wimberly Additional documents related to this announcement are available here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/documents-and-resources-april-17-2019-press-conference, Charges Involve Over 350 Thousand Prescriptions for Controlled Substances and Over 32 Million Pills; ARPO Strike Force Grows to 10 Districts, Expanding to Include the Western District of Virginia. In one case, anurse practitionerwho branded himself the Rock Doc, allegedly prescribed powerful and dangerous combinations of opioids and benzodiazepines, sometimes in exchange for sexual favors; over approximately three years, the doctor allegedly prescribed approximately 500,000 hydrocodone pills, 300,000 oxycodone pills, 1,500 fentanyl patches, and more than 600,000 benzodiazepine pills. They estimate the street cost of all the . Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure youre on an official state website. ARDEO investigation nets five suspects, along with drugs, guns and cash, White County man shared life with rock legends, Residents look for answers in Harvest Church project, Woman charged with vehicular homicide in teen's death Wednesday, Kemp unsure if shelter order should end as Habersham cases surge past 200, Mount Vernon Mills plant in Alto closing in 60 days, Demorest wall to be fixed, nearly 3 years later. One of the Department's most promising new initiatives is the Criminal Division's Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force, which began its work in December. In addition to assistance provided by the FBI, DEA, and HHS-OIG, these cases were brought in connection with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Two cases involve doctors who were previously sanctioned by the Tennessee Medical Board in connection with the overprescribing of opioids, one of whom was sanctioned for providing prescriptions to vulnerable patients, while the other allegedly prescribed opioid pills after serving a Board imposed term of probation. Information about substance abuse and opioids is available at the following websites: http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/pharmacy/opioid-and-heroin.html, https://mh.alabama.gov/understanding-the-opioid-crisis/, Kentucky: If you are in Kentucky and are suffering with addiction you can find help by calling 833-8KY-HELP or logging in at Findhelpnowky.org, Ohio: If you are seeking help in Ohio, please call the OhioMHAS patient helpline, at 1-877-275-6364. This page is here to provide information to the citizens of North Georgia on the activity of ARDEO Another case alleges that a doctor prescribed opioids and other controlled substances to at least four individuals. In the Northern District of West Virginia, a case was brought against an orthopedic surgeon who allegedly used fraudulent prescriptions to obtain tablets of acetaminophen-codeine for his own use. Guns and money were seized along with $8,000 worth of meth and heroin in a bust Friday by the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office. All rights reserved. Meriwether, Muscogee, Pike, Spalding, Photo: Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office. Banks, Barrow, Cherokee, Clarke, Dawson, Elbert, Fannin, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Greene,Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe,Pickens, Rabun, Stephens, Taliaferro, Towns, Union, Walton,White, Wilkes. Although initial waivers were due by Nov. 1, 2020, the Cabinet still is accepting Temporary Exemption Forms. But the Department of Justice is doing its part to help end this crisis. Guns, drugs, and other paraphernalia seized in Baldwin, Habersham County, GA. An official website of the State of Georgia. Call 1-800-GEORGIA to verify that a website is an official website of the State of Georgia. According to Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Marlar with the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the arrests came last Thursday after a routine traffic stop.
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