William Soyke, Prescription Fraud, Maryland 2019

Physician Assistant Pleads Guilty to Prescription Fraud in Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland - William Soyke, age 66, of Hanover, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone, and alprazolam outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

According to his plea agreement, from 2011 until the business closed in February 2018, Soyke served as a physician assistant (PA) at Rosen Hoffberg Rehabilitation and Pain Management, P.A. During his tenure, Soyke was able to observe and treat patients of both Dr. Norman Rosen and Dr. Howard Hoffberg, who had hired him and who usually worked at the Towson and Owings Mills offices, respectively.

Soyke admitted that he believed that Drs. Rosen and Hoffberg prescribed excessive levels of opioids. According to the plea agreement, both doctors overruled any attempts by Soyke to lower patients' dosages. Further, if another health care provider within the practice declined to treat a patient due to the patient's aberrant behavior (such as failing a drug screening test for illicit drugs or selling their prescriptions), Drs. Rosen and Hoffberg would take over that patient's care.

Soyke admitted that he knew that many of the patients presenting to Rosen Hoffberg did not have a legitimate medical need for the oxycodone, fentanyl, alprazolam, and methadone they were being prescribed. Nevertheless, Soyke issued prescriptions for these drugs to patients without a legitimate medical need and outside the bounds of acceptable medical practice.

Soyke also admitted that in several instances he engaged in sexual, physical contact with female patients who were attempting to get prescriptions. Although the female patients complained to Dr. Rosen and Dr. Hoffberg about Soyke's behavior, the doctors did not fire Soyke because Soyke saw the largest number of patients at the practice and generated significant revenue for Rosen Hoffberg.

Soyke faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 16, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the DEA, and HHS-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason D. Medinger and Derek E. Hines, who are prosecuting the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/physician-assistant-pleads-guilty-federal-drug-charge-conspiring-distribute-and-dispense