Three Philadelphia doctors have been accused of illegally selling over $5 million worth of commonly abused painkillers and other prescription drugs out of their now-defunct clinic.
The doctors charged in the alleged conspiracy include alleged ringleader Dr. Alan Summers, 78, of Ambler, and accomplices Dr. Azad Khan, 63, of Villanova, and Dr. Keyhosrow Parsia, 79, of Ridley Park, according to a federal indictment released on Wednesday.
"These are doctors who, rather than helping people, are contributing to this absolute crisis in our society," Assistant U.S. Attorney Lou Lappen said.
Federal prosecutors say that Summers ran a "medical clinic" on South Broad Street called the National Association for Substance Abuse-Prevention & Treatment (NASAPT), where he and other doctors - including Khan and Parsia - sold prescriptions for drugs like Suboxone and the anti-seizure medication Klonopin in exchange for cash while performing little to no treatment as required by law.
"Rather than helping people who needed help because they were addicted to drugs, these doctors turned into nothing but drug dealers," Lappen said.
Prosecutors say that the doctors had a 10-year financial plan to corner the local drug market, which included spending over $100,000 to develop their venture, along with a satellite office in Upper Darby and a team to attend Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to hand out business cards and videos.
"This to them was nothing but a business, an illegal business," Lappen said. "But it was a money-making business, not designed in any way, shape, or form to help some of the neediest people in our society."
The trio's misdeeds were uncovered after undercover agents, who were perfectly healthy, posed as customers. They attended the clinic, and despite being perfectly healthy, were diagnosed with opioid dependency and other anxiety disorders. In addition, they received "massive" doses of Suboxone and Klonopin.
The indictment includes charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, health care fraud and money laundering. If convicted on all charges, each doctor faces a possible prison term, fines, restitution, special assessments and a term of supervised release.
Check out a video where Summers gives medical "advice" below:
