A former doctor has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for illegally prescribing pain medication in Buffalo, NY.
Pravin Mehta, 78, of Amherst, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to illegally dispense controlled substances, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Mehta was also ordered to pay a fine totaling $500,000 in addition to $125,000 previously forfeited in this case.
“In abusing his medical license, this defendant did more than harm those who relied upon him for treatment and healing,” said U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. “His unprofessional and disgraceful conduct turned those patients into virtual zombies, and contributed to the massive opioid crisis our entire community continues to experience to this day.
Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt stated, “The 2011 investigation into crimes conducted by Dr. Mehta, and others in his practice, spearheaded similar investigations into rogue doctors throughout the country.
Mehta wrote prescriptions for narcotic pain medications, such as fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone, for individuals without conducting legitimate medical examinations.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Niagara Falls Police Department, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Drug Task Force, the New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the New York State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.
RELATED: Pediatrician Gets 20-Year Sentence for Prescription Swap for Sex
RELATED: Doctor Traded Pills for Sex, Preyed on Kids
Related Federal Cases
- Royalty Tobacco Shut Down by NY AG for Repeatedly Illegally Selling Vapes to Minors · New York
- Sununu Declares War on Trump’s GOP Grip · New Hampshire
- Wall Street Bailout: NY & CA Lose $2 Trillion · North Carolina
- “K Money” Crumbles: Wall St. Pretender Admits $2M Scam · New York
- PPE Lie: Edison Execs Plead Guilty to $10M Scam · Ohio
Key Facts
- State: New York
- 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 →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News