{"id":5487,"date":"2019-04-28T23:29:38","date_gmt":"2019-04-28T23:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/ng\/?p=5487"},"modified":"2019-04-28T23:29:38","modified_gmt":"2019-04-28T23:29:38","slug":"after-20-years-of-medical-practice-samson-orusa-nigerian-born-american-medical-doctor-indicted-on-45-count-charges-man-of-god-facing-opioid-distribution-healthcare-fraud-money-laundering-cr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/after-20-years-of-medical-practice-samson-orusa-nigerian-born-american-medical-doctor-indicted-on-45-count-charges-man-of-god-facing-opioid-distribution-healthcare-fraud-money-laundering-cr\/","title":{"rendered":"AFTER 20 YEARS OF MEDICAL PRACTICE: SAMSON ORUSA, Nigerian born American Medical Doctor Indicted on 45-Count Charges…’Man-of-God’ Facing Opioid Distribution, Healthcare Fraud, Money-laundering Crimes *56 year old man charged with 22 counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance outside the bounds of professional medical practice; 13 counts of healthcare fraud and nine counts of money laundering * Suspect opened and maintained medical practice at 261 Stone Crossing Drive in Clarksville, Tennessee for the purpose of distributing Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone * The indictment alleges that in February 2015, Orusa diagnosed a patient with Chronic Pain Syndrome without performing a specific examination and prescribed oxymorphone (an opioid), Soma (carisoprodol, a muscle relaxer), and alprazolam (benzodiazepine, an anti-anxiety drug). This regimen is commonly referred to as \u201cThe Holy Trinity,\u201d and is considered to be a potentially deadly drug cocktail * On September 14, 2018, the State of Tennessee permanently revoked Orusa\u2019s Pain Management Certificate and on that same day, Orusa wrote 164 individual prescriptions for approximately 12,754 Schedule II controlled substance pills * Suspect used clinic proceeds to make a $12,451.00 down payment on a 2017 Mercedez-Benz; and wrote a check for the purchase of $100,000 in securities * \u201cAnyone who contributes to the opioid epidemic plaguing this nation should expect to be targeted by our law enforcement partners and held accountable. Physicians who prey upon an already addicted population; steal from public healthcare programs; and engage in such reckless disregard for patient safety, as alleged here, will face a vigorous prosecution by this office\u201d – U.S. Attorney Cochran, Department of Justice BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU\/AMERICAN Foreign Bureau Chief, Naija Standard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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AFTER\n20 YEARS OF MEDICAL PRACTICE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SAMSON\nORUSA, Nigerian born American Medical Doctor Indicted on 45-Count\nCharges<\/strong>…’Man-of-God’ Facing Opioid\nDistribution, Healthcare Fraud, Money-laundering Crimes <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*56\nyear old man charged with 22 counts of unlawful distribution of a\ncontrolled substance outside the bounds of professional medical\npractice; 13 counts of healthcare fraud and nine counts of money\nlaundering<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*\nSuspect opened and maintained medical practice at 261 Stone Crossing\nDrive in Clarksville, Tennessee for the purpose of distributing\nSchedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*\nThe indictment alleges that in February 2015, Orusa diagnosed a\npatient with Chronic Pain Syndrome without performing a specific\nexamination and prescribed oxymorphone (an opioid), Soma\n(carisoprodol, a muscle relaxer), and alprazolam (benzodiazepine, an\nanti-anxiety drug). This regimen is commonly referred to as \u201cThe\nHoly Trinity,\u201d and is considered to be a potentially deadly drug\ncocktail<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*\nOn September 14, 2018, the State of Tennessee permanently revoked\nOrusa\u2019s Pain Management Certificate and on that same day, Orusa\nwrote 164 individual prescriptions for approximately 12,754 Schedule\nII controlled substance pills<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*\n <\/strong><\/em>Suspect<\/strong>used\nclinic proceeds to make a $12,451.00 down payment on a 2017\nMercedez-Benz; and wrote a check for the purchase of $100,000 in\nsecurities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*\n\u201c<\/strong><\/em>Anyone who\ncontributes to the opioid epidemic plaguing this nation should expect\nto be targeted by our law enforcement partners and held accountable. \nPhysicians who prey upon an already addicted population; steal from\npublic healthcare programs; and engage in such reckless disregard for\npatient safety, as alleged here, will face a vigorous prosecution by\nthis office\u201d – U.S. Attorney Cochran, Department of\nJustice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BY\nGEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU\/AMERICAN Foreign Bureau Chief, Naija Standard<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

GREED,\nWICKEDNESS AND EVIL WERE IN THE CENTRAL PARTS OF HIS HEART. SAMSON\nORUSA, A NIGERIAN BORN NATURALIZED TRAINED AMERICAN MEDICAL DOCTOR\nIN CLARKSVILLE IS FACING 45 COUNT CHARGES for opioid distribution\nand healthcare fraud.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orusa\nhas been\narrested on federal charges related to what prosecutors called an\nopioid\ndistribution and<\/a>\nfraud. This Nigerian doctor has operated a medical practice in\nClarksville for about 20 years, and this isn’t the first time he’s\nbeen accused of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\n45-count federal indictment was unsealed recently, charging Dr.\nSamson Orusa, 56, of Clarksville, Tennessee with maintaining a\ndrug-involved premises; 22 counts of unlawful distribution of a\ncontrolled substance outside the bounds of professional medical\npractice; 13 counts of healthcare fraud; and nine counts of money\nlaundering, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle\nDistrict of Tennessee. Orusa\nwas arrested by federal agents and he appeared before a U.S.\nMagistrate Judge later..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhysicians\nwho prey upon an already addicted population; steal from public\nhealthcare programs; and engage in such reckless disregard for\npatient safety, as alleged here, will face a vigorous prosecution by\nthis office,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Cochran. \u201cAnyone who contributes\nto the opioid epidemic plaguing this nation should expect to be\ntargeted by our law enforcement partners and held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According\nto the indictment, as early as January 2014, Orusa opened and\nmaintained his medical practice at 261 Stone Crossing Drive in\nClarksville, Tennessee for the purpose of distributing Schedule II\ncontrolled substances, including oxycodone, not for legitimate\nmedical purposes and beyond the bounds of medical practice. The\nindictment alleges a pattern of conduct by Orusa whereby patients\nwere prescribed oxycodone and other Schedule II controlled substances\nwithout obtaining the patient\u2019s prior medical history; performing a\ncredible physical examination or performing a diagnostic workup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one\nsuch instance, the indictment alleges that in February 2015, Orusa\ndiagnosed a patient with Chronic Pain Syndrome without performing a\nspecific examination and prescribed oxymorphone (an opioid), Soma\n(carisoprodol, a muscle relaxer), and alprazolam (benzodiazepine, an\nanti-anxiety drug). This regimen is commonly referred to as \u201cThe\nHoly Trinity,\u201d and is considered to be a potentially deadly drug\ncocktail. On February 24, 2015, this patient died as a result of\ningesting a like combination of drugs. The indictment also alleges\nthat on April 17, 2018, a patient suffered a heroin overdose in the\nwaiting room of Orusa\u2019s medical office after Orusa prescribed\noxycodone and other Schedule II controlled substances, without\nconducting proper examinations or checking the patient\u2019s medical\nhistory. Other patterns of conduct alleged in the indictment include\nOrusa prescribing oxycodone to patients identified as high risk and\nto patients with questionable and falsified drug screens. Between\nJuly 1, 2018, and August 21, 2018, the indictment alleges that Orusa\nwrote approximately 2,494 prescriptions for Schedule II controlled\nsubstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nindictment further alleges that on September 14, 2018, the State of\nTennessee permanently revoked Orusa\u2019s Pain Management Certificate\nand on that same day, Orusa wrote 164 individual prescriptions for\napproximately 12,754 Schedule II controlled substance pills.\nBeginning in 2014, several pharmacies in Montgomery County, Tennessee\nrefused to honor prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances\nwritten by Orusa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nindictment also alleges that beginning in 2014, Orusa devised and\nparticipated in a scheme to defraud health insurance benefit\nproviders, including Medicare, by submitting upcoded reimbursement\nclaims to Medicare, indicating a higher level of service than\nactually performed; submitting false and fraudulent claims to\nMedicare for services that were medically unnecessary; causing claims\nto be submitted to Medicare for prescriptions that were issued in\nviolation of law or otherwise outside the bounds of accepted medical\npractice; and diverting proceeds of the fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nallegations include as part of the scheme, that Orusa would accept or\nsee 50-60 patients or more in a single day; require insurance\npatients, including Medicare beneficiaries, to visit his office\napproximately four to six times in a single month in order to\nincrease and inflate reimbursement claims, while cash paying patients\nwere only required to visit Orusa\u2019s office twice per month; and\nrequired insurance patients, including Medicare beneficiaries, to\naccept injections, in order to increase and inflate reimbursement\nclaims. Orusa threatened to withhold pain management prescriptions\nfrom insurance patients who refused the injections. Cash paying\npatients, however, generally were not required to accept injections\nin order to receive pain management prescriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally,\nthe indictment alleges that Orusa conducted financial transactions\ndesigned to disguise the nature of the unlawful activity and that he\ntransferred or caused to be transferred, proceeds of the unlawful\nactivity to foreign bank accounts; used clinic proceeds to make a\n$12,451.00 down payment on a 2017 Mercedez-Benz; and wrote a check\nfor the purchase of $100,000 in securities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe\narrest of Dr. Orusa should serve as a warning to all doctors who fail\nto practice medicine in an ethical and responsible manner,\u201d said D.\nChristopher Evans, Special Agent In Charge of DEA\u2019s Louisville\nField Division, which oversees DEA activity throughout Kentucky,\nTennessee and West Virginia. \u201cThe men and women of DEA are\ncommitted to using every available resource to stop the flow of drugs\ninto our communities, especially when the drug dealer is a\nphysician,\u201d Evans added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe\nopioid epidemic impacts families in every community,\u201d said Derrick\nL. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health\nand Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta.\n\u201cPhysicians who overprescribe opioid should recognize they are\ncontributing to the cycle of abuse, addiction and overdose that too\noften ends in death.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIllegally\nprescribing narcotics for profit is a serious offense,\u201d stated\nMatthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal\nInvestigation. \u201cThis investigation should send a message to\noperators of these illegal pill mills that this activity will be\ninvestigated and prosecuted. IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to\nwork with our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of these\nillegal drugs into our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nindictment also contains a forfeiture allegation and seeks to forfeit\nany proceeds and property derived from the criminal activity and any\nand all property used to facilitate the unlawful activity, if\nconvicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nconvicted, Orusa faces up to 20 years in prison on each drug-related\ncount and up to 10 years in prison on each healthcare fraud and money\nlaundering count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\ncase was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration;\nthe U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of\nInspector General; the IRS-Criminal Investigation; the Tennessee\nBureau of Investigation; the Clarksville Police Department; and the\n19th<\/sup>\nJudicial District Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys\nStephanie N. Toussaint and Miller Bushong are prosecuting the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An\nindictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed\ninnocent until proven guilty in a court of law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AFTER 20 YEARS OF MEDICAL PRACTICE: SAMSON ORUSA, Nigerian born American Medical Doctor Indicted on 45-Count Charges…’Man-of-God’ Facing Opioid Distribution, Healthcare Fraud, Money-laundering Crimes *56 year old man charged with 22 counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance outside the bounds of professional medical practice; 13 counts of healthcare fraud and nine counts of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}