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Pill Mill Operators Face 20 Years in Prison
Montgomery, AL – In a shocking turn of events, Erik Raul Torres, 33, and Marc Oliver Adam, 29, both from southern Florida, have pleaded guilty to charges related to the operation of a notorious ‘pill mill’ in Opelika, Alabama.
A ‘pill mill’ is a medical clinic created to sell pills unlawfully, illegally, and for no medical reason. In 2012, Torres formed EMED Medical Management Corporation, the Opelika pill mill, where he was the owner and chief executive. He hired Adam as the day-to-day office manager and Dr. Francisco Huidor-Figueroa as the pill mill’s doctor.
At Torres’s direction, Dr. Huidor-Figueroa prescribed controlled substances, like oxycodone, to patients who had no legitimate need for the medicine and intended to either abuse the drug or sell the pills to others who would abuse them. Torres and Adam then laundered the money generated by the unlawful prescriptions.
Dr. Huidor-Figueroa, who pleaded guilty to drug distribution and money laundering charges in December 2015, is currently awaiting sentencing. Torres pleaded guilty to conspiring to unlawfully deal drugs and conspiring to launder the proceeds, while Adam pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money.
Torres faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on each count, with a maximum fine of $1,000,000 on the drug distribution conspiracy count and $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater, on the money laundering conspiracy count. Adam also faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Division, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Opelika Police Department, Auburn Police Department, and the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross and Rand N. Neeley are prosecuting the case.
The guilty pleas bring to an end a lengthy investigation into the notorious pill mill, which was operated in blatant disregard for the law. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of prescription pill abuse and the importance of holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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