Physician In South Florida Sentenced In Fraudulent Prescription Case

On January 18th, 2024, the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Southern District of Florida announced that a doctor accused of unlawfully dispensing controlled substances has been convicted by a jury in Miami-Dade County. Osmin Morales, 72, was found guilty of several felony charges. Here, our Florida criminal defense lawyer for doctors discusses the case and the charges in more detail.

The Conviction: Prescription Fraud 

A jury found In Miami-Dade County Dr. Osmin Morales guilty of conspiracy to unlawfully dispense and distribute controlled substances. Additionally, Dr. Morales was also convicted of six counts of unlawful dispensing controlled substances. The doctor, a resident of Weston, Florida, owned and operated a pain management clinic. Through that clinic, federal prosecutors alleged that he irresponsibly and unlawfully prescribed a number of different controlled substances—such as oxycodone and morphine—without medical justification. In some cases, prescriptions were issued to patients without any examination.

As part of its evidence, the government presented medical records showing false reports that Dr. Morales examined patients when he was not actually present in the United States at all. A Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent testified that Morales prescribed opioids to over a thousand patients, often in maximum doses. Notably, nearly a third of these patients had criminal records related to drug dealing. Based on the conviction, Dr. Morales faces sentencing on April 17, 2024. He is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count. 

An Overview of the Criminal Charges Brought in this Case 

The doctor in this case has been convicted of serious federal criminal offenses. Here is an overview of the specific charges that were brought by the federal prosecutors in South Florida:

• Conspiracy to Unlawfully Dispense and Distribute Controlled Substances: This charge indicates that Dr. Morales was part of a deliberate plan to illegally prescribe and distribute controlled substances. Conspiracy charges imply that there was an agreement between two or more persons to commit a criminal act. In this case, the act was the distribution of controlled substances such as oxycodone and morphine without legitimate medical reasons.
• Unlawfully Dispensing Controlled Substances (Six Counts): This charge refers to Dr. Morales’s direct involvement in prescribing controlled substances outside the bounds of standard medical practice. It covers the numerous instances where Morales prescribed narcotics without proper medical examinations or justifications. The law stipulates that controlled substances can only be prescribed when there is a legitimate medical need and within the accepted standards of professional practice.

Any prescription fraud case must be taken very seriously. A doctor facing criminal allegations needs an experienced attorney on their side. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

Contact Our Florida Prescription Fraud Defense Attorney for Doctors Today

At The Baez Law Firm, our Orlando criminal defense lawyer has extensive experience representing doctors. If you or your loved one was charged as any part of an alleged prescription fraud scheme, we are here to help. Contact our criminal defense team for a fully confidential case review. From our Orlando office, we defend doctors against criminal charges all across Central Florida.

Source:

justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/doctor-convicted-trial-unlawfully-dispensing-controlled-substances