caesee
05-25-2006, 02:54 AM
wow place an add in a newspaper that said "need painkilles?" that would have a line of people over 5 miles long..
Painkiller Ads Lead To Sting, Drug Arrests
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By CAROL GENTRY and STEPHEN THOMPSON The Tampa Tribune
Published: May 22, 2006
ST. PETERSBURG - Pinellas County narcotics detectives swooped down on a popular walk-in medical clinic Monday morning and arrested a physician, two other staff members and two patients on drug-related charges.
Meanwhile, other agents arrested the clinic's owner, chiropractor Alex Petro, in the parking lot of the Best Buy store in the Tyrone area, sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner said. Petro was carrying more than $10,000 in cash, Bordner said.
The coordinated drug bust capped a five-month undercover investigation, called Operation Pain Relief, at Doctors Urgent Care Walk-In Clinic, 4900 33rd Ave. N. Six agencies took part.
The walk-in clinic treated legitimate patients as well as people who detectives believe are addicts and pushers, so officials are implementing the search warrant carefully to protect patient privacy. Work was continuing in the clinic Monday night.
Dorothy Watsan of Holiday was at the clinic Monday when she was startled by the entry of a team from the sheriff's office, the Florida Attorney General's Office, the Florida Department of Health and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
"They yelled out, 'Hands behind your head,' 'Drop your purses,' and everything," said Watsan, 53.
Petro's operation, which was formerly called the Acropolis Chiropractic and Sports Medicine clinic, seemed to increase its number of patients after he changed the name, hired physicians and began running ads with the headline "Need Painkillers?" The ads listed several controlled narcotics: Vicodin, Percocet, OxyContin and Xanax.
At times, customers formed lines at the door each morning and cars overflowed the parking lot. The sheriff's office said it launched the undercover operation after receiving numerous complaints.
Petro's business model for selling pain medications was criticized by physicians and other medical authorities in a Tribune story last month.
Deputies who posed as patients found it was easy to get prescriptions for controlled narcotics in exchange for cash, without the usual physical examinations, said Capt. Michael Platt, commander of the Pinellas Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division.
Platt described the clinic as a "pill mill."
In interviews at the clinic Monday morning, patients Watsan and 28-year-old Jose Calmeron of St. Petersburg said they paid $245 in cash on the first visit. Watsan said she immediately got a prescription for OxyContin and a painkiller skin patch.
Platt said the clinic staff told patients to fill the prescriptions at a particular pharmacy, which he declined to identify. Detectives who conducted surveillance at the pharmacy saw some customers selling pills in the parking lot, he said.
The sheriff's office identified those arrested as:
Petro, 51, of 2785 Bayside Drive S., St. Petersburg, was charged with three counts of practicing medicine without a license because, as a chiropractor, he cannot write prescriptions, Platt said. Petro also was charged with trafficking in more than 28 grams of Hydrocodone, which carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years, and with two counts of racketeering in narcotics.
Court records show Petro's only previous brush with authorities was citation in December for operating an adult establishment, Vegas Showgirls on Gandy Boulevard in Pinellas, without a license. That case is pending.
Mary Jane Eicher, , an osteopath, which under Florida law is equivalent to a medical doctor, of 333 22nd Ave. S.E., St. Petersburg. Eicher, 71, was charged with two counts of practicing medicine without a license, one count of racketeering in narcotics and one count of trafficking in oxycodone.
The nature of the charge of practicing without a license is unclear. The sheriff's office said her license was expired; however, a state Department of Health spokeswoman said Monday night that Eicher holds a current Florida license, and the state Web site for health professionals indicates she has a clean record.
Physician's assistant Saleem Sharar, 32, of 19135 U.S. 19 N., Apt. D-16, Clearwater, who was charged with four counts of practicing medicine without a license, three counts of racketeering in narcotics and one count of trafficking in hydrocodone.
Officer manager Jon N. Freed, 33, was arrested on one count of practicing medicine without a license and one count of trafficking in hydrocodone. His address was listed as 4015 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa.
Clinic patient Belinda Nuzzi, 39, of 701 Jamaica Road, Venice, was arrested on an outstanding drug warrant.
Patient Leonard John Walasiewicz, 37, of 2 N. Burnwood Ave., Clearwater, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and probation violation.
All other patients were allowed to leave after questioning
Painkiller Ads Lead To Sting, Drug Arrests
Skip directly to the
By CAROL GENTRY and STEPHEN THOMPSON The Tampa Tribune
Published: May 22, 2006
ST. PETERSBURG - Pinellas County narcotics detectives swooped down on a popular walk-in medical clinic Monday morning and arrested a physician, two other staff members and two patients on drug-related charges.
Meanwhile, other agents arrested the clinic's owner, chiropractor Alex Petro, in the parking lot of the Best Buy store in the Tyrone area, sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner said. Petro was carrying more than $10,000 in cash, Bordner said.
The coordinated drug bust capped a five-month undercover investigation, called Operation Pain Relief, at Doctors Urgent Care Walk-In Clinic, 4900 33rd Ave. N. Six agencies took part.
The walk-in clinic treated legitimate patients as well as people who detectives believe are addicts and pushers, so officials are implementing the search warrant carefully to protect patient privacy. Work was continuing in the clinic Monday night.
Dorothy Watsan of Holiday was at the clinic Monday when she was startled by the entry of a team from the sheriff's office, the Florida Attorney General's Office, the Florida Department of Health and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
"They yelled out, 'Hands behind your head,' 'Drop your purses,' and everything," said Watsan, 53.
Petro's operation, which was formerly called the Acropolis Chiropractic and Sports Medicine clinic, seemed to increase its number of patients after he changed the name, hired physicians and began running ads with the headline "Need Painkillers?" The ads listed several controlled narcotics: Vicodin, Percocet, OxyContin and Xanax.
At times, customers formed lines at the door each morning and cars overflowed the parking lot. The sheriff's office said it launched the undercover operation after receiving numerous complaints.
Petro's business model for selling pain medications was criticized by physicians and other medical authorities in a Tribune story last month.
Deputies who posed as patients found it was easy to get prescriptions for controlled narcotics in exchange for cash, without the usual physical examinations, said Capt. Michael Platt, commander of the Pinellas Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division.
Platt described the clinic as a "pill mill."
In interviews at the clinic Monday morning, patients Watsan and 28-year-old Jose Calmeron of St. Petersburg said they paid $245 in cash on the first visit. Watsan said she immediately got a prescription for OxyContin and a painkiller skin patch.
Platt said the clinic staff told patients to fill the prescriptions at a particular pharmacy, which he declined to identify. Detectives who conducted surveillance at the pharmacy saw some customers selling pills in the parking lot, he said.
The sheriff's office identified those arrested as:
Petro, 51, of 2785 Bayside Drive S., St. Petersburg, was charged with three counts of practicing medicine without a license because, as a chiropractor, he cannot write prescriptions, Platt said. Petro also was charged with trafficking in more than 28 grams of Hydrocodone, which carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years, and with two counts of racketeering in narcotics.
Court records show Petro's only previous brush with authorities was citation in December for operating an adult establishment, Vegas Showgirls on Gandy Boulevard in Pinellas, without a license. That case is pending.
Mary Jane Eicher, , an osteopath, which under Florida law is equivalent to a medical doctor, of 333 22nd Ave. S.E., St. Petersburg. Eicher, 71, was charged with two counts of practicing medicine without a license, one count of racketeering in narcotics and one count of trafficking in oxycodone.
The nature of the charge of practicing without a license is unclear. The sheriff's office said her license was expired; however, a state Department of Health spokeswoman said Monday night that Eicher holds a current Florida license, and the state Web site for health professionals indicates she has a clean record.
Physician's assistant Saleem Sharar, 32, of 19135 U.S. 19 N., Apt. D-16, Clearwater, who was charged with four counts of practicing medicine without a license, three counts of racketeering in narcotics and one count of trafficking in hydrocodone.
Officer manager Jon N. Freed, 33, was arrested on one count of practicing medicine without a license and one count of trafficking in hydrocodone. His address was listed as 4015 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa.
Clinic patient Belinda Nuzzi, 39, of 701 Jamaica Road, Venice, was arrested on an outstanding drug warrant.
Patient Leonard John Walasiewicz, 37, of 2 N. Burnwood Ave., Clearwater, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and probation violation.
All other patients were allowed to leave after questioning