Breaking News:

Nigerian Naturalized American once-renowned medical Internist, Dr. SAMSON ORUSA convicted for Drug charges, Money laundering, illegally distributing oxycodone at his medical practice

…Tennessee Senior Pastor of God’s Sanctuary Church found guilty, faces 20 years in jail

*Jury indict suspect in 36 out of 45 counts, freeze five bank accounts, one annuity and one 401K; with a combined value of more than $918,000, plus forfeiture of a 2017 Mercedes Benz

*Alumnus of University of Benin Faculty of Medicine may lose medical license during jail term

*“Physicians like Dr. Orusa who violate their oath and engage in such reckless conduct and contribute to the opioid epidemic facing this nation can expect to bear the full force and effect of the federal justice system”-Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart 

*BY OLAMIDE OLOWODE/MEDICAL Correspondent, Tennessee & GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/AMERICAN Foreign Editor

THE ONCE FAMOUS, HIGHLY CELEBRATED INTERNIST, DR SAMSON ORUSA, known for his professional medical practice in Clarksville, Tennessee may have ended his envious career by engaging in federal drug charges, healthcare fraud, money laundering, and illegally distributing oxycodone at his medical practice. A jury, after an extensive investigation returned a verdict on him and found him guilty for the crimes so mentioned. The soft-spoken ‘Man-of-God’ was promptly arrested, arraigned in court and found guilty.

This Alumnus of University of Benin Faculty of Medicine where he studied may eventually lose his medical license as American Medical Association, AMA have begun in depth investigation on all of his medical practice in America.

A federal jury has finished its deliberations in the case of the 59-year-old, convicted last month. After finding Orusa guilty in August of 36 of the 45 counts, the jury returned Friday to hear evidence supporting the forfeiture of the “ill-gotten proceeds of the crimes,” Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart said in a news release.

The jury determined that five bank accounts, one annuity and one 401K, with a combined value of more than $918,000, was subject to forfeiture, and also a 2017 Mercedes Benz.

Following a two-week trial, Orusa, also the pastor at God’s Sanctuary Church International on Madison Street, was convicted by a federal jury on Aug. 13 of maintaining a drug-involved premise, 13 counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the bounds of professional medical practice, 13 counts of health care fraud, seven counts of money laundering, and two counts of laundering more than $10,000 of criminally derived property. 

The jury acquitted Orusa of nine of the counts of illegal distribution of oxycodone, the release said. “Physicians like Dr. Orusa who violate their oath and engage in such reckless conduct and contribute to the opioid epidemic facing this nation can expect to bear the full force and effect of the federal justice system,” Stewart said in the release. “I commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their exceptionally hard work in thoroughly investigating this case and preparing it for a successful prosecution.” Trial testimony from former employees and patients described a standing-room-only lobby area at Orusa’s clinic. Patients with insurance coverage were forced to visit the clinic four to six times a month and undergo cortisone shots to receive pain medication and Orusa threatened to withhold pain management prescriptions from those who refused the injections, the release said. 

Cash-paying patients generally were not required to accept injections in order to receive prescriptions. Due to the excessive number of controlled substance prescriptions, Walmart and CVS pharmacies refused to fill prescriptions written by Orusa. 

Other evidence and testimony established that Orusa conducted financial transactions designed to disguise the nature of the unlawful activity and that he transferred proceeds of the unlawful activity to foreign bank accounts; used clinic proceeds to make a $12,451 down payment on a Mercedes-Benz; and wrote a check for the purchase of $100,000 in securities. In one instance, Orusa billed Medicare for services he claimed to have provided to 57 patients in a single day, despite being at the clinic for less than six hours, the release said. Orusa faces up to 20 years in prison on each drug-related count and up to 10 years in prison on each healthcare fraud and money laundering count. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Further investigation revealed that American Medical Association, AMA are presently investigating Orusa and may lose his medical license soon.

This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General; the IRS-Criminal Investigation; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; the Clarksville Police Department; and the 19th Judicial District Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie N. Toussaint and Miller A. Bushong prosecuted the case.

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