Freeport Physician Arrested
Tuesday, Mar 18, 2008 - 04:34 PM
The following was released by the U.S. Department of Justice Tuesday:
U.S. Department of Justice
Gregory R. Miller
United States Attorney
Northern District of Florida
?
FREEPORT PHYSICIAN INDICTED, ARRESTED FOR HEALTH CARE FRAUD
Pensacola, Florida - TALLAHASSEE - Gregory R. Miller, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida; Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum; Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink; Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration - Miami Division; Nestor Duarte, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation - Jacksonville Division; Michael Walther, Director, National Drug Intelligence Center Document Exploitation Division; Christopher Anato, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Gerald M. Bailey, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Ralph Johnson, Walton County Sheriff; and Ana M. Viamonte-Ros, State Surgeon General, Florida Department of Health, today announced that a Federal Grand Jury has returned an indictment charging a Freeport physician with health care fraud and unlawfully dispensing controlled substances.
Dr. Robert L. Ignasiak, Jr. was arrested this morning in Freeport by federal, state, and local agents on a federal warrant based on the charges of the indictment. Ignasiak will make his first appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge on the charges this afternoon in Pensacola.
In a 54 count indictment, the Federal Grand Jury in Pensacola charged Ignasiak, 52, with the following:
1. fourteen counts of health care fraud;
2. two counts of dispensing controlled substances, including fentanyl, hydrocodone, diazepam, chlonazepam, morphine, and alprazolam, the use of which resulted in the death of two persons; and
3. thirty-eight counts of unlawfully dispensing controlled substances including oxycodone (commonly known as OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan, Roxicodone, Endocet and Tylox); morphine (commonly known as Kadian, Avinza, and MS-Contin); fentanyl (commonly known as Duragesic); hydrocodone (commonly known as Lortab, Lorcet, Tussionex; alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax); diazepam (commonly known as Valium); clonazepam, (commonly known as Klonopin); and carisoprodol (commonly known as Soma).
The indictment alleges that Ignasiak, a licensed physician who owned and operated Freeport Medical Clinic, prescribed controlled substances to patients without determining a sufficient medical necessity for the prescription of these substances and in quantities and dosages that would cause patients to abuse and misuse the substances.
The indictment charges that Ignasiak prescribed controlled substances to patients knowing the patients were addicted to the substances, misusing the substances, or were "doctor shopping" and were requesting additional quantities of controlled substances for their drug habits. The indictment charges that the use of controlled substances dispensed by Ignasiak resulted in the death of two patients.
The indictment also alleges that Ignasiak issued prescriptions that were false and fraudulent because they were not based upon medical necessity and were issued outside the usual course of professional practice, and because Ignasiak lacked documentation in patient files justifying the prescriptions.
According to the indictment, Ignasiak caused pharmacies to file claims with Medicaid and other health care benefit programs for filling the false and fraudulent prescriptions he issued.
If convicted on Counts 28 and 48, the counts charging the distribution of fentanyl and morphine with deaths resulting from the use of those controlled substances, Ignasiak faces a mandatory minimum term of 20 years imprisonment, a possible life sentence, and a fine of $1 million per count.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of Ignasiak's property, including more than $1 million.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The indictment is the result of a four-year joint investigation by the North Florida Health Care Fraud Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement and regulatory members.
United States Attorney Miller commended the tireless efforts of the investigators involved in the case, and praised the continued cooperation of citizens who alerted investigators to Ignasiak's practices. "The protection of citizens in the community from licensed doctors, who dispense highly addictive controlled substances such as oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice, is a priority," said United States Attorney Miller.
The North Florida Health Care Fraud Task Force will vigorously investigate and identify those medical practitioners who use their licenses to peddle controlled substances to abusers and addicts outside the course of standard medical practice.
"As the threat of illicit drugs continues to threaten Florida's citizens, our doctors should be helping curb this health issue, not feeding and encouraging it," said Attorney General Bill McCollum. "We will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who perpetrates this criminal behavior, no matter who they are or what their profession is.
"Agencies across the state are working closely and cooperatively to stop abuses of prescription drugs in Florida," said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey. "The consequences of misuse are often lethal, and we'll continue to aggressively investigate physicians who put others in harm's way."
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Heldmyer.
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Tuesday, Mar 18, 2008 - 04:34 PM
The following was released by the U.S. Department of Justice Tuesday:
U.S. Department of Justice
Gregory R. Miller
United States Attorney
Northern District of Florida
?
FREEPORT PHYSICIAN INDICTED, ARRESTED FOR HEALTH CARE FRAUD
Pensacola, Florida - TALLAHASSEE - Gregory R. Miller, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida; Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum; Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink; Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration - Miami Division; Nestor Duarte, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation - Jacksonville Division; Michael Walther, Director, National Drug Intelligence Center Document Exploitation Division; Christopher Anato, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Gerald M. Bailey, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Ralph Johnson, Walton County Sheriff; and Ana M. Viamonte-Ros, State Surgeon General, Florida Department of Health, today announced that a Federal Grand Jury has returned an indictment charging a Freeport physician with health care fraud and unlawfully dispensing controlled substances.
Dr. Robert L. Ignasiak, Jr. was arrested this morning in Freeport by federal, state, and local agents on a federal warrant based on the charges of the indictment. Ignasiak will make his first appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge on the charges this afternoon in Pensacola.
In a 54 count indictment, the Federal Grand Jury in Pensacola charged Ignasiak, 52, with the following:
1. fourteen counts of health care fraud;
2. two counts of dispensing controlled substances, including fentanyl, hydrocodone, diazepam, chlonazepam, morphine, and alprazolam, the use of which resulted in the death of two persons; and
3. thirty-eight counts of unlawfully dispensing controlled substances including oxycodone (commonly known as OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan, Roxicodone, Endocet and Tylox); morphine (commonly known as Kadian, Avinza, and MS-Contin); fentanyl (commonly known as Duragesic); hydrocodone (commonly known as Lortab, Lorcet, Tussionex; alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax); diazepam (commonly known as Valium); clonazepam, (commonly known as Klonopin); and carisoprodol (commonly known as Soma).
The indictment alleges that Ignasiak, a licensed physician who owned and operated Freeport Medical Clinic, prescribed controlled substances to patients without determining a sufficient medical necessity for the prescription of these substances and in quantities and dosages that would cause patients to abuse and misuse the substances.
The indictment charges that Ignasiak prescribed controlled substances to patients knowing the patients were addicted to the substances, misusing the substances, or were "doctor shopping" and were requesting additional quantities of controlled substances for their drug habits. The indictment charges that the use of controlled substances dispensed by Ignasiak resulted in the death of two patients.
The indictment also alleges that Ignasiak issued prescriptions that were false and fraudulent because they were not based upon medical necessity and were issued outside the usual course of professional practice, and because Ignasiak lacked documentation in patient files justifying the prescriptions.
According to the indictment, Ignasiak caused pharmacies to file claims with Medicaid and other health care benefit programs for filling the false and fraudulent prescriptions he issued.
If convicted on Counts 28 and 48, the counts charging the distribution of fentanyl and morphine with deaths resulting from the use of those controlled substances, Ignasiak faces a mandatory minimum term of 20 years imprisonment, a possible life sentence, and a fine of $1 million per count.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of Ignasiak's property, including more than $1 million.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The indictment is the result of a four-year joint investigation by the North Florida Health Care Fraud Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement and regulatory members.
United States Attorney Miller commended the tireless efforts of the investigators involved in the case, and praised the continued cooperation of citizens who alerted investigators to Ignasiak's practices. "The protection of citizens in the community from licensed doctors, who dispense highly addictive controlled substances such as oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice, is a priority," said United States Attorney Miller.
The North Florida Health Care Fraud Task Force will vigorously investigate and identify those medical practitioners who use their licenses to peddle controlled substances to abusers and addicts outside the course of standard medical practice.
"As the threat of illicit drugs continues to threaten Florida's citizens, our doctors should be helping curb this health issue, not feeding and encouraging it," said Attorney General Bill McCollum. "We will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who perpetrates this criminal behavior, no matter who they are or what their profession is.
"Agencies across the state are working closely and cooperatively to stop abuses of prescription drugs in Florida," said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey. "The consequences of misuse are often lethal, and we'll continue to aggressively investigate physicians who put others in harm's way."
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Heldmyer.
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