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Doctor Allegedly Conspired With Drug Dealers, Sold Painkillers For Cash

TROY (WWJ) - A Troy doctor is facing charges for allegedly selling painkillers to drug dealers for cash.

Federal prosecutors allege that for over two years, Dr. Micheal Weiss took cash payments for large amounts of highly addictive Oxycodone and Roxicodone, as well as the cough syrup promethazine. The 63-year-old doctor is also accused of overcharging Medicare and Blue Cross nearly $300,000 for the illegitimate prescriptions.

Three Detroit men are charged with selling the drugs on the streets: 43-year-old Edgarten Howard, 40-year-old Carlos Johnson and 30-year-old Ricky Easley.

The indictment, which was unsealed this week, alleges that from January 2013 through April 2015, Weiss conspired with the other defendants to write a large number of prescriptions for highly addictive controlled substances for supposed patients, who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs.

Authorities say Weiss saw the supposed patients in Howard's home, where Howard, Johnson, and Easley paid Weiss cash for his services. According to the indictment, Howard, Johnson, and Easley then obtained the drugs that Weiss authorized through the prescriptions and sold them on the street.

The indictment alleges that Weiss caused Medicare to pay more than $250,000, and Blue Cross almost $40,000, for the illegitimate prescriptions. The indictment also alleges that Weiss submitted about 950 claims to Medicare and Blue Cross for providing services to the supposed patients, although Weiss never actually provided the services. Weiss received about $65,000 through the fraudulent bills.

"Diversion of prescription pills to the street market promotes the addiction to painkillers that leads to overdose deaths," U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement. "We are focusing on charging doctors, pharmacists and the networks that are putting this poison on the streets."An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.

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