The alleged drug distribution ring was run out of Lake Medical Group in Los Angeles from Aug. 2008-Feb. 2010. During this time, Eleanore Santiago, MD, and Morris Halfon, MD, allegedly knowingly wrote OxyContin prescriptions for Medicare, Medi-Cal and uninsured patients who did not need the powerful painkiller.
The OxyContin was allegedly later obtained from pharmacies and resold on the street for profit. The indictment alleges that during this time, Medicare Part D and Medicare prescription drug programs paid more than $2.7 million for OxyContin prescriptions generated by the clinic and its physicians.
The clinic and its physicians are also accused of fraudulently billing Medicare approximately $4.6 million and Medi-Cal approximately $1.6 for alleged medical services that were either not performed or were unnecessary.
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