Phenix City Doc Pleads Guilty to Pill Mill Scheme & Money Laundering

Montgomery, Ala. – In a stunning reversal of professional duty, Dr. Robert M. Ritchea, 54, of LaGrange, Georgia, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and money laundering, a criminal act that has tarnished the medical community’s reputation.

On Monday, January 30, 2017, United States Attorney George L. Beck, Jr. announced Dr. Ritchea’s plea in Phenix City. The ‘pill mill’ operation run by the physician was anything but medicinal; it was a conduit for distributing oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, and hydromorphone, prescriptions all written with knowledge of their non-medical use.

Dr. Ritchea’s devious scheme didn’t end there. He brazenly laundered drug proceeds by purchasing Schedule II pain medications from a manufacturer, then distributing them directly out of his medical practice. His actions were so egregious that local pharmacists refused to fill his prescriptions, forcing him to operate an informal distribution network.

United States District Judge W. Keith Watkins will determine Dr. Ritchea’s fate in the coming months. The doctor is staring down a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count, along with substantial monetary penalties that will reflect the extent of his financial fraud.

‘Prescription drug abuse is a plague on our communities,’ said U.S. Attorney Beck, whose office has held Dr. Ritchea accountable for betraying the trust placed in him as a medical professional. ‘Dr. Ritchea has contributed to this epidemic and now faces the consequences of his actions.’ Special Agent in Charge Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that those in the medical field who engage in illegal drug diversion will be held responsible.

Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton reinforced the necessity for ongoing efforts to combat prescription drug abuse. ‘This case should serve as a warning to anyone in the healthcare profession considering illegal pharmaceutical diversion: you will be caught and punished,’ he stated.

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