BRUNSWICK, GA – A Georgia doctor will spend the next five years behind bars for his role in a brazen “pill mill” operation that flooded the streets with addictive opioids. Paul Spencer Ruble, 64, of Thomson, Georgia, received his sentence yesterday from Chief U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, following a guilty plea entered on August 22, 2016, to charges of conspiracy to unlawfully dispense controlled substances and money laundering.
The feds say that from November 2011 to April 2013, Ruble and his co-conspirators ran Apex Health & Wellness, a sham pain management clinic in Brunswick. It wasn’t about helping patients; it was about profit. Ruble allegedly scribbled prescriptions for oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other powerful narcotics to anyone with cash, regardless of genuine medical need. Over just 17 months, Apex Health & Wellness saw over 10,000 “patients” – an average of 30 drug-seekers walking through the door every single day.
Federal agents finally shut down the operation on April 24, 2013, executing a search warrant at the clinic. But not before the criminals raked in a hefty fortune. Deposits into the Apex Health & Wellness bank account totaled over $2 million, including a staggering $1.7 million in cash. Ruble himself pocketed nearly $500,000 for his part in the scheme. This wasn’t healthcare; it was a criminal enterprise disguised as one.
Ruble isn’t the only one facing consequences. Marc Frazier, 46, of Satellite Beach, Florida – the owner of the pill mill – pleaded guilty to a similar conspiracy charge back in July 2015. Chief Judge Wood sentenced him to 44 months in prison. Clearly, the feds are targeting the kingpins and their enablers.
The takedown was a joint effort, involving the DEA, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Glynn-Brunswick Narcotics Enforcement Team (GBNET), IRS-CID, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The investigation fell under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the Department of Justice’s primary weapon against large-scale drug trafficking.
“Mr. Ruble was another drug dealer that just happened to wear a white coat,” stated Acting United States Attorney James D. Durham, laying bare the truth of the situation. “The owners and operators of sham pill-mill clinics prosper while the patients and members of the community suffer. Those who attempt to profit from pill mills masquerading as pain management clinics in the Southern District of Georgia can expect to find themselves next in a federal prison.” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg Gilluly, Marcela Mateo, and Karl Knoche prosecuted the case. Contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 201-2522 for further information.
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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