Doctor Charged for Unlawful Distribution of Oxycodone and Other Controlled Substances

A New Jersey doctor was arrested yesterday for unlawfully distributing oxycodone and other controlled substances.

According to court documents, Larry Pettis, 76, of Westampton, owned a medical practice that had multiple locations in New Jersey that purported to provide pain management and other services. Pettis allegedly pre-signed prescriptions for controlled substances so that another individual, who was not allowed to issue such prescriptions, could issue them when Pettis was out of the office. Pettis allegedly caused prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids such as oxycodone, to be issued to patients even though Pettis had failed to assess the patients. Pettis is also alleged to have issued prescriptions for controlled substances when a patient’s drug test results raised red flags for substance abuse and drug diversion and to have caused medical records to be altered and fabricated.

Pettis is charged with four counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, South Jersey Resident Agency; Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey Division, Camden District Office made the announcement.

FBI, HHS-OIG, and DEA are investigating the case. 

Trial Attorneys Nicholas Peone and Hyungjoo Han of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit: www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: Justice.gov