2 Michigan Doctors Among 5 Charged in Prescription Opioid Scheme

DETROIT (AP) — Two Detroit-area physicians and a medical clinic operator are among five women indicted in a scheme that issued more than 674,500 dosage units of opioid prescriptions.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Detroit says Wednesday that the drugs included the highly-addictive oxycodone and oxymorphone and carried a "conservative" street value of more than $20 million."

Dr. Michele Ritter, Dr. Charise Valentine, Iris Winchester, Joyce Robinson and Kristina Brown are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances.

The government says prescriptions were issued at Winchester's clinic north of Detroit to people who had no legitimate medical need for the drugs.

The Associated Press was unable Wednesday to reach Ritter, Winchester, Valentine, Robinson or Brown for comment. It was not immediately clear if any have attorneys.

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