Nashville, TN – In a shocking verdict, a federal jury found Gilbert Ross Ghearing, 69, of Crossville, TN, guilty of 45 counts of violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), health care fraud, and obstruction of justice.
Ghearing, a former physician who owned and operated a medical clinic in Celina, TN, was accused of prescribing Schedule II and Schedule IV drugs, including benzodiazepines and opioids, outside the usual course of professional practice without legitimate medical purposes to patients suffering from active substance use disorders.
The majority of Ghearing’s patients had Medicare or TennCare insurance, Tennessee’s Medicaid program. He caused pharmacies to submit fraudulent claims to these insurance programs for controlled substance prescriptions written by him that were not medically necessary.
After Ghearing was indicted in June 2019, he allegedly altered the medical records of the patients identified in the indictment. A superseding indictment in October 2022 charged Ghearing with obstruction of justice based on the alterations.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Office of Inspector General, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The DOJ Fraud Section Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force provided valuable investigative resource assistance.
Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski commended the law enforcement partners and the trial team for their dedication and commitment to ensuring justice was served in a long and protracted investigation and prosecution.
Ghearing faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the CSA convictions, 20 years on the obstruction of justice, and 10 years on health care fraud convictions. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Related Federal Cases
- Nicole Bogan, Health Care Fraud, Columbus GA, 2013 · Illinois
- Charlton Peter, Health Care Fraud, TN 2024 · Florida
- Sandra Bailey, Medicare Health Care Fraud, TN 2024 · Washington
- Robert J. Spears, Tax Return Filing Fraud, Tennessee 2012 · Mississippi
- John O. Wilson, Insurance Fraud Scheme, Tennessee 2023 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
