Sandy Springs Podiatrist Sold Opioids as Cash Business

Dr. Arnita Avery-Kelly turned her Sandy Springs and Lithonia clinics into pill mills, allegedly pumping out tens of thousands of oxycodone, fentanyl, and hydromorphone doses under the thin guise of podiatric care. The 54-year-old licensed podiatrist and her office manager, Brenda Lewis, 55, both of Atlanta, Georgia, were arraigned on federal charges tied to a sprawling opioid distribution scheme that investigators say had zero medical justification.

Federal prosecutors unsealed a December 21, 2016 indictment accusing Avery-Kelly and Lewis of conspiring to distribute controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose between November 2013 and December 2015. The drugs include oxycodone, hydromorphone, fentanyl, hydrocodone, phentermine, alprazolam, and promethazine with codeine. Avery-Kelly faces two additional counts for maintaining clinics in Lithonia and Sandy Springs as fronts for illegal drug sales, plus fifty-seven individual counts of illegal distribution tied to prescriptions for three patients. Lewis is charged with aiding and abetting eight of those unlawful prescriptions.

According to court documents, a three-year investigation kicked off after the Georgia Drug & Narcotics Agency confronted Avery-Kelly in November 2013 and February 2014 over her sky-high opioid prescription rates. Despite warnings, she allegedly continued dispensing massive volumes of narcotics. Between December 2014 and August 2015 alone, she wrote for over 116,500 oxycodone 30mg pills, 41,800 hydromorphone 8mg tablets, and 400 fentanyl patches—quantities far beyond any reasonable podiatric need.

“Dr. Avery-Kelly was trusted to provide appropriate medical care to her patients,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “Instead, with the assistance of Ms. Lewis, she allegedly prescribed addictive opioids without any legitimate medical need. Addiction to powerful prescription opioids unfortunately continues to take a daily toll on many members of our community.”

The DEA and HHS-OIG raided Avery-Kelly’s Sandy Springs office in April 2016. She surrendered her DEA registration on the spot. Daniel R. Salter, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, slammed the abuse of medical authority: “It is sad commentary when persons in the medical community abuse their positions of trust to hide behind the veil of legitimacy to commit criminal acts. The reckless distribution of pharmaceuticals results in addiction and death.”

Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent-in-Charge of HHS-OIG Atlanta, added that prescription drug abuse is a growing threat: “HHS-OIG continues to focus resources on those who divert prescription medication for profit and abuse. Our criminal investigators will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring the responsible individuals to justice.”

Avery-Kelly and Lewis appeared separately before U.S. Magistrate Judges Russell G. Vineyard and Catherine M. Salinas. They remain presumed innocent as the case moves forward. But federal authorities are sending a clear message: when doctors become dealers, they will be prosecuted like any other trafficker on the block.