California doctor, assistant accused of 3-year conspiracy to sell illegal opioids
A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has accused a California doctor and his assistant of plotting to distribute illegal opioid painkillers, cheat the health care system and launder money in a scheme dating to three years ago, officials said Monday.
Dr. Paul Michael Hoover, 57, and Marcia Ramsier Arthurs, 60 — both former residents of Western Pennsylvania who live in Novato, Calif. — have been charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methadone and oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said. After moving to California, the two would make trips back to the Pittsburgh region to distribute the drugs, according to Brady’s office.
A 15-count indictment returned last week alleged that the pair’s plans to sell illegal and potentially fatal prescription opioids dated to March 26, 2015, and continued through June of this year.
Fentanyl, in particular, is a synthetic opioid painkiller that can be 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin; as little as 2 or 3 nanograms per milliliter of blood of fentanyl can be deadly.
The indictment accused Hoover and Arthurs of distributing the narcotic pain reliever oxycodone on “multiple occasions” between Jan. 9 and June 22. The indictment further accused Hoovers and Arthurs of laundering money as they carried out the fraudulent health care scheme.
If convicted on all charges, Hoover and Arthurs each could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung and Rachael L. Mamula are prosecuting the case with help from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, state Attorney General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of Veterans Affairs, Food and Drug Administration and Pennsylvania Bureau of Licensing.
Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@tribweb.com or via Twitter @NewsNatasha.
