vanguard blog | April 15, 2010 | 53 comments

DEA Raids Florida Pain Clinics

This time last year, we were deep into production on "The OxyContin Express," the Vanguard documentary about prescription drug abuse and the pain clinics in South Florida that have become the source of a black market trade in pills.

While reporting, we came across one pain clinic whose reputation surpassed all others. Law enforcement in Kentucky and West Virginia had drawers full of seized pill bottles with its name and address. Prisoners and addicts from Florida to Appalachia spoke of the ease with which this clinic handed out large doses of Oxycodone and Xanax.

It was this reputation that led us to try and film the Palm Beach clinic, American Pain. If you’ve seen the piece, you know that led us to be chased by goons in luxury cars down I-95.

Long story short: Everyone knew about this place. Everyone, it turns out, including the DEA.

Last month, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, along with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, raided three pain clinics in Florida, including the clinic we were chased away from.

The Feds are working on a case against the clinic’s owners, twin brothers who the Miami Herald earlier reported have criminal records and no medical training.

Here are a few highlights from the civil forfeiture complaint that spells out the evidence prosecutors have gathered thus far:

  • A doctor at American Pain told an undercover agent how that clinic alone saw around 250 people/day from South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
  • American Pain obtained over 2 million pills of Oxycontin in 2009.This figure does not include Oxycodone prescriptions written by American Pain doctors but filled elsewhere.
  • The average salary for the five doctors working at American Pain in 2009 was more than $1 million per year. Evidence points to the fact that they get paid according to how many patients they see. The more patients, the more money.
  • More than $14 million in cash deposits were made into American Pain bank accounts in 2009.
  • Of the top 20 doctor purchasers of oxy in the country, five worked at American Pain in 2009.

One of the brothers/owners reportedly piled up about $40 million in assets.

Here’s how the Florida daily, The Sun Sentinel, led their story about the investigation:

Chris and Jeff George drove flashy cars, amassed property and made multimillion-dollar deals, radiating wealth and success while clients of their pain clinics got high and, in some cases, died, federal prosecutors allege in documents filed in U.S. District Court.

Supporting the twin brothers' lavish lifestyle was a stream of dirty cash from drug traffickers who routed painkillers to Kentucky, Ohio and South Carolina, prosecutors allege.

While reporting "The OxyContin Express," Sgt. Richard Pisanti of the Broward County Sheriff’s Department compared the situation in South Florida to the Miami Vice days. "In the '80s and '90s cocaine was a big thing," he told us. "Now prescriptions have just exploded."

The difference is that in the '80s it was some Colombian drug lord supplying the goods. Today it’s doctor's offices that exploit loopholes in Florida's laws to maintain a thin veneer of legitimacy.  Loopholes, it appears now, that are wide enough for a drug kingpin to amass a $40 million fortune.

As Kentucky Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo told us, "Pablo Escobar couldn't have had it any better."

But as it eventually did for Pablo, time might be running out for Florida's pill mills. The statistics speak for themselves. American Pain’s owners have yet to be charged, and they’ve reportedly hired a high profile defense attorney.

Even a conviction wouldn’t end illegal oxy dealing—but shutting down American Pain will almost certainly put a big dent in the number of pills handed out in Florida.

Watch "The OxyContin Express" after the jump below.

Read more about Vanguard and OxyContin here.

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53 comments // DEA Raids Florida Pain Clinics

  • KaBeSmiley90
    • 0
      KaBeSmiley90  

    • My sister showed me this video almost a year ago now.
      I sent the link to one of my close friends..because I knew he was addicted to prescription pills. He was the oxy-man of Tampa.

      He kept saying he was waiting for a reason to quit. Until then, he dealt with life the easy way and popped pills.

      I prayer, prayed, prayed he would watch this documentary. To this day I dont know if he did. But as invincible as he thought he was.. his body shut down on him, and his roommates found him dead one morning. Heart-attack at 22years old. 6am, July 21st, 2010.

      "Invincibility" is this generations greatest weakness.

      Your documentaries reawaken a desire to join the movement and be apart of change.

      Its inspiring. Keep it up!
      cheers,

    • 1 year ago
  • m_thom
    • 0
      m_thom  

    • I grew up in Broward County, FL. I saw this stuff almost everyday, everyone is addicted to these pills. Its a HUGE epidemic. I wish everyone could see this and try to understand. I also used to abuse Oxy's and xanax. So i know this isnt easy i luckily got away it time. I wish i could take this all away for everyone so no one has to go through this. It is truly the worst.

    • 1 year ago
  • gigolo
    • 0
      gigolo  

    • Savy of the globalists running the USA is astonishing. These fat cats love to play both sides. They not only fix the elections Gore vs. Bush/McCain vs. Obama to get their man in regardless of outcome...they cultivate the opium in Afghanistan, control distribution, get people hooked...then throw peons in jail...all the while making $$$'s to fund more police and more prisons industry complex.

      Take the do gooder sheriff, putting a 53 yr old unemployed guy in jail or that young couple sentenced to mandatory minimum of 3yr. Take the mothers doing 7 for selling OC's. Why is the sheriff not going after Bush/Chenney/Obama/Biden for following the orders of the owners of our Federal Reserve Bank, namely Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs and Jacob Rothschild, eh? Nothing is done in America unless the "owners" give their consent. Those of you in law enforcement need to look at the big picture rather than ruin the lives of lowly proletariat. Makes cops look like dirtbag scum separating a mom from her kids.
      What I put in my body is no ones business. You got it.

    • 1 year ago
  • Tanya_Hoskinson_Mantell
    • 0
      Tanya_Hoskinson_Mantell  

    • I would love to know what people like myself are supposed to do without pain management clinics? You people do realize that there are ACTUAL INJURED people that live in constant pain that rely upon these clinics for medication. Pre-existing conditions permit me from healthcare; no insurance leads to sub-par Doctors and the many bad apples are destroying life for those of us in need. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR ME???? Where am I supposed to go once you run around town videotaping JUNKIES and my Dr. closes his doors due to fear from the D.E.A. or other militant filmcrews making a buck off the suffering of others????You have made a bad situation worse and the only people profiting from it now are the dealers and you.

    • 1 year ago
  • d3admau5
    • 0
      d3admau5  

    • And people say pills are safe to take just because Doctors prescribe them. People will always get the drug that they want. We will never stop drug trafficking. Still can't believe weed is not legal and alcohol is

    • 1 year ago
  • Matt_Calvert
    • 0
      Matt_Calvert  

    • As a recovering oxy-addict who turned to heroin i for years i agree with whoever was saying that shutting down the pain clinics is the right thing to do and replace them with methadone clinics, because they work (I KNOW i got my life back) its best to get these addicts minds occupied with recovery because the real problem is people will do anything for that good rush and that often means mixing the oxys/heroine with cocaine and benzos(xanax) and thats how people die. That can still happen with the methadone but at least addicts are informed and that alone keeps many alive, believe it or not we arent all stupid. Oh yea and $25 or $10 a day only last the first week or two nd ends up in bein at least $100 a day noone can afford that, methadone clinics run bout $100 a week so thats bit better

    • 2 years ago
  • cclark_productions
  • jesuswho
  • internetmarketingsandiego
  • idealist
  • Omnomynous
  • idealist
  • morirjedi
  • cclark_productions
  • spanishinquistion
    • +2
      spanishinquistion [removed]  

    • The DEA wouldn't have to raid if there was more government oversight and regulation in the medical industry in order to protect people. People shouldn't be able to willy nilly get pain pills, a publicly funded doctor, based on government review, would be able to give out right doses equally. It needs to be more difficult to get pills.

      Nationalise healthcare and no one will suffer pain and no one will suffer addiction!

    • 2 years ago
  • EmperorThan
    • -1
      EmperorThan  

    • Next the DEA will storm into Purdue Pharma's labs and call it a significant raid on possibly drug lord manufacturing facilities. hahahah

      "No, you idiots we MAKE OxyContin."

      "We know you sons of bitches! And we finally caught you!"

      "No, no. This is a big misunderstanding."

    • 2 years ago
  • zingyoo
  • Chique
    • +3
      Chique  

    • I find it ironic that many Florida physicians are somehow terrified of prescribing pain medication for fear of losing their licenses or creating an addiction, yet these pain clinics have been doing it for years with no problem.

      A few years ago, my husband's physicians refused to give him any kind of pain medication although he was eventually diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in his spine. His pain had slowly intensified over a year prior to diagnosis. His only pain control was Advil. Upon diagnosis, he was immediately hospitalized on a Friday afternoon, finally given morphine to ease his pain, but died the following Friday. Posted on the door in his room was the law regarding patients' rights to pain management. My niece, who is a Regional Nursing Manager specializing in oncology, was able to intervene on Mark's behalf toward the end because she was intimately aware of patient's rights to pain management. It still haunts me that he had to suffer one of the worst types of cancer for so long because doctors can be so reluctant to prescribe effective pain relief.

    • 2 years ago
  • tommic
    • 0
      tommic  
    • Chique:

      A very sad story, my sorrow to you. I'm not a lawyer but that seems almost malpractice somehow to not believe the pain or to not proceed with blood testing that should have shown abnormal white blood cell count that would have deemed greater investigation.
      It is poor medical practice with a doctor at fault particularly if he had been complaining of excruitiating pain for up to a year.

    • 2 years ago
  • Chique
    • 0
      Chique  
    • tommic:

      I agree and thanks tommic, I just hope others learn their rights and get the help they need from a "qualified" physician instead of forcing a few of those legitimately in pain to turn to one of these clinics where they get the pain relief but nothing else.

    • 2 years ago
  • Introspective
    • -4
      Introspective  

    • I see nothing to applaud Vanguard or Maria for...hmmm now lets take a closer look at what u have done...while i doubt that a majority of those so-called patients were really gettin these medz fo a legit reason...i have no doubt that there were some who did...lets consider what now becomes of those who depended on their daily dose of medz to keep themselves functioning...no doubt many of them will now go underground & turn again to herion...many will either start or go back to robbing and killin to get there $ or dope...no doubt many will end up in jail cuz the legal source has been shut down...no doubt they will contract all kinds of killer diseases & start flooding local hospitals...no doubt mo will end up dying faster...so no, i don't think what u done wuz good at all & quite frankly u r guilty of contributing to the problem!

    • 2 years ago
  • tommic
    • +1
      tommic  
    • Introspective:

      They can do like the rest us of do. Go to an orthopedic doctor or onocologist or any other specialized doctor who treats what ails you. Can't afford a doctor? But can afford heroin on the street? No exuse. Maybe a single payer system with every person covered would have ended this BS. Not for sure but the status quo didn't work

    • 2 years ago
  • Omnomynous
    • -1
      Omnomynous  
    • tommic:

      Yeah they can go to the doctor and be recommended 3 different surgeries, that only 1 of which works. The funny part is when the doctor tells them that they're insurance only covers the 2 ineffective surgeries.....

      Sad part is the Dr. is out for a dollar and doesn't mention the lesser quality surgeries are actually of a lesser quality, but by then you've already had the "second class" surgery, and the only reason you were made aware it was in fact a lower quality care was because another Dr. took pity on you and told you having it re-tried wouldn't help....

      And Orthopedic guys, play hell trying to fix nerve damage, as do surgeons actually....

      Hmmm 50,000 dollars for a "iffy" surgery, or $25 a week for heroin..... I know what I could afford...

    • 2 years ago
  • beingaware
    • +1
      beingaware  
    • Introspective:

      I agree that many people have a problem with abuse and for some, purchasing pills in this manner might be their own equivalent of a "methadone" program- but this doesn't mean the answer is creating narcotic availability to every young kid ready to get addicted. Your energy and our should be directed towards more methadone programs and public programs- people who have once been heroine abusers should be in methadone programs the rest of their lives because their relapse rate is so great. It's $10/day for them, the same as heroine, and they should make responsible choices. And we should be supporting more methadone clinic availability to prevent all these health and human cost issues you mentioned.

    • 2 years ago
  • Tanya_Hoskinson_Mantell
    • 0
      Tanya_Hoskinson_Mantell  
    • Introspective:

      While I am one of the legit patients, I assure you that I am not going to turn to crime to "get my fix". I do know that after years on pain medication, some will not be able to stop themselves. If the current standard continues,they will be reduced to commiting crime in order to be "functioning". These are not "junkies" living in a van down by the river!! These are people that have real pain; M.S., Herniated discs,ruptured discs and failed surgeries. I have endured 3 surgeries, endless injections, therapy etc over almost 9 years...and I am only 38. The D.E.A. is now scaring pharmacies into not filling prescriptions for level 3 narcotics/opiates (ex. of level 3=naproxen)and above; at their own "discretion" .(WTF?) Doctors are losing their practices and in some cases their freedom. D.E.A. agents are going n with false M.R.I.'s and acting like they are in pain and when the Physician fills the prescription (ENTRAPMENT!!!) they are arrested.This issue is going to get much , much worse.

    • 1 year ago
  • Almibry
  • imunbalanced
  • Jjjjason7
    • 0
      Jjjjason7  

    • taking the pain killers away from the people will only allow there attention to move towards the source of there pain. Most of the time it is Babylon.

    • 2 years ago
  • zeropiate
  • Omnomynous
    • -1
      Omnomynous  
    • zeropiate:

      I couldn't agree more, might as well be class warfare.... Rich people will not lose their pill doctors, the doctors that cater to upper class addicts weren't even touched.

      It's just those lowly working class pill poppers, and a few moronic "trustafarians" who've never worked a day in they're life and just out of the "rich" category that will be hurting.

      I'm just glad so many commentators, are able to applaud one sided justice, that will in fact hurt many people who are in need...

      Way to go Current!!!.....

    • 2 years ago
  • cclark_productions
  • CaptB
    • +1
      CaptB  

    • I saw this awesome little Vanguard piece about these doctors prescribing meds at these pain clinics. It truly opened my eyes. The program that is set up in other states is called, "sole provider" where you can only seek pain meds by one provider, a sole provider. The state keeps track of a persons name at all pharmacies in a database to ensure there is no abuse. If the sole provider is prescribing to much there has to be a law in place to inform the authorities. There is a level that only one person can handle in a month and over that it is all about selling. I am hoping this article as well as the Vanguard expose changes the laws in Florida.

    • 2 years ago
  • tommic
    • 0
      tommic  

    • there are going to be a lot of addicts going through withdrawls sooner than they ever thought. Get ready for no sleep, runny nose, the runs, shaking uncontrollably, stomach pains and if you've been on oxy for a long time you better go check into rehab they'll make you more comfortable

    • 2 years ago
  • bocky10
    • 0
      bocky10  
    • tommic:

      I had the same thought. The other side of the coin here is that, hopefully, they have effective rehab programs in place, and a big enough program to accept all the people who will need it.

    • 2 years ago
  • tommic
    • 0
      tommic  
    • bocky10:

      In Flordia? I bet not unless your willing to pay five hundred a day. Healthcare for those is a dream I'd bet most of those addicts have no health insurance. That means they will show up at emergency rooms going through severe withdrawls and get medical care that in the end everyone in Flordia will pay for. Make your bed you get to sleep in it. Flordia chose to look the other way and now its going to bite them right in the ass.

    • 2 years ago
  • corndog67
  • CalgarC
  • Nephwrack
  • Aaron_Rey
    • 0
      Aaron_Rey  
    • Nephwrack:

      Exactly, why should the largest drug kingpin in the world(Big Pharma!) get completely dismissed from any and all guilt? 5 of the 20 largest doctor purchasers of Oxycontin were from this one clinic, and they bought more than 2 million Oxycontin's in 2009? If this is correct, it proves that our own government has no interest in stopping the illicit flow of so-called "Legal" narcotics from the manufacturer, just the civilians who peddle them on the street. If they truly had our best interests at heart they would enforce restrictions on the pharmaceutical industry and stop them from killing people on a daily basis. Tobacco, alcohol, and pharmaceuticals are all "legal" substances that can and do kill!

    • 2 years ago
  • bailey78
    • -1
      bailey78  

    • I am hurting so bad right now I could an have screamed at the top of my voice. I will not take another pill this week I have had enough of them. I take some pills an the pain goes away. I feel great then I go outside and do then when I stop I hurt again. When I wake-up I hurt because I did to much the day before(work that is not pills) So I have a choice to hurt or take pills. I choose to hurt today. Anything can be abused My body, my mind, my soul all it takes is to give in to the pain. The pain is driveing me insane. But it will not destroy me. I will live another day with the pain.

    • 2 years ago
  • H0M3GR0WN
  • Omnomynous
    • -1
      Omnomynous  

    • On the one hand I see the point, and understand where they're coming from with this, nobody wants their loved ones strung out, and the risks junkies bring to society is great.

      On the other hand, you have a totally flawed system when it comes to "legal" pain management in this country.

      You've got some doctors that won't touch the issue (prescribe pain meds at all), you've got doctors that are inconsistent prescribing to much to some to little to others, and everything in between.

      My concern is the people that DO need pain management and how this will effect them. It really is hard for some people to get decent care, and unless you go through life suffering from a real injury that you're not receiving adequate care for you wouldn't understand.

      Well that's not all of it, we do live in a "free" country right, well then why do we have all these oppressive drug laws? Other countries with much more liberal laws have much less drug problems. I haven't heard of the first "crack head" in Amsterdam, but you can't get it there fairly easy, and face much less hassle, so policy alone has A LOT to do with it.....

    • 2 years ago
  • ATakk
    • 0
      ATakk  

    • The OxyContin Express was the first vanguard doc I saw and it blew me away. As the rest of the docs have continued to do. Thanks for the follow up. Hopefully more awareness and raids like this will translate to changes on a policy level.

    • 2 years ago
  • crispyfritters
  • Alex_French
  • rafaelilang
  • Found_Avenue
    • +2
      Found_Avenue  

    • I have been fascinated by this story since "The Oxycontin Express" first aired. Thank you for keeping us updated. It's great to see the DEA is starting to crack down on this horrible laxness.

    • 2 years ago
  • Alex_French
  • Drach
    • 0
      Drach  

    • Hell YEAH! I just wonder when our federal government is going to start telling the pharmaceutical companies that they cannot make drugs that have a large potential to kill people. Oftentimes, people take one drug, and it gives them a slew of other conditions. then they start on the cycle of taking other meds to counteract the side effects of the first. Remember that Cocaine and Heroin were both legal at one time. All these drugs are legal forms of these substances.

      This is a problem. Its also a problem that POT can alleviate a lot of these symptoms without side effects... Big Pharma is in our base, killin our dudes!

      Nice to see an article from Maria. =) I always look for the tattoo she got when I see her reports.

    • 2 years ago
  • iameam
    • 0
      iameam  

    • It seems a bit fishy that these pain clinics have been doing this for so long. How is it possible that the DEA is just now getting to this? Was someone being paid off perhaps?

    • 2 years ago
  • Chapisbored
  • bocky10
    • +2
      bocky10  

    • Well its about time the DEA took action considering how long this has been going on and how big this is. Surely they could have made a move sooner with the resources you would expect they have at their disposal. Mariana was able to uncover so much with just her small crew, who put themselves at risk. It was an excellent piece - thanks for the follow up.

    • 2 years ago
MarianaVanZeller

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