Mohamad Och, Unlawful Distribution of Controlled Substances, Massachusetts 2023

Worcester Psychiatrist Sentenced for Illicit Prescription of Controlled Substances

BOSTON – In a shocking turn of events, a Worcester psychiatrist has been sentenced for his role in the unlawful distribution of controlled substances. Mohamad Och, 69, was convicted following an 11-day jury trial of three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.

Och, a licensed psychiatrist and owner of Island Counseling Center (ICC) in Worcester, Mass., was authorized to prescribe Schedule II-IV controlled substances to patients. However, he repeatedly prescribed a combination of benzodiazepines and stimulants outside of the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

The evidence presented at trial showed that Och knowingly issued prescriptions for Adderall (a Schedule II amphetamine) and Xanax (a Schedule IV benzodiazepine) to undercover federal agents. Amphetamines have a high potential for abuse and present serious cardiovascular risks, while mixing Xanax, a depressant, with a stimulant like Adderall can lead to severe health complications.

Och’s actions were deemed particularly egregious as he prescribed highly-addictive medications without conducting proper psychiatric examinations, obtaining prior medical records, or administering diagnostic tests. Furthermore, he failed to discuss or review medication side effects, conditions’ symptoms, or the risks and benefits of taking drugs like Adderall and Xanax with the undercover agents.

On November 2023, Och was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to four years of probation and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine. The sentencing comes as a result of an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, and Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

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