A Manhattan, Kansas physician has been charged with unlawfully prescribing prescription drugs, a crime that puts the lives of his patients at risk.
Michael Schuster, 53, who operates Manhattan Pain and Spine in Manhattan, Kansas, is charged with one count of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Topeka alleges that Schuster employed unlicensed staff members who distributed controlled substances to patients using Schuster’s signature on prescriptions while he was traveling out of the state or out of the country.
The investigation began in 2012, when the Riley County Police Department received reports that Schuster was issuing prescriptions for high dosages of scheduled drugs based on minimal or cursory physical examinations. As a result, several patients had overdosed on their medications and Riley County Police were investigating the diversion of prescription drugs.
Physicians and hospital staff at Fort Riley voiced concerns to Army Criminal Investigative Division that active duty soldiers and family members who died from overdoses were patients of Schuster. Investigators examined records indicating Schuster prescribed unusually high dosages of scheduled narcotics despite questionable medical necessity and allowed his patients to get early refills of controlled substances.
If convicted, Schuster faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. If death or bodily injury results from the crime, the penalty is not less than 20 years.
The case is being investigated by the Riley County Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense, Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (DHS-HSI), and the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
Related Federal Cases
- Michael James Munsterman, Theft of Government Funds, Kansas 2015 · Kansas
- Michael Lawrence O’Donnell, Prescription Drug Distribution, Salt La… · North Carolina
- Azucena Garcia-Ferniza, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Kansas 2015 · Kansas
- Michael N. Rodenbeek, Producing Child Pornography, Kansas 2016 · Kansas
- Michael Jett Sentenced to 23 Months for Tax Evasion, MO, 2023 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: Kansas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent 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