A Grantham, N.H., physician has pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances, marking the first joint prosecution of a physician by the Justice Department's New England Strike Force and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont.
According to a Nov. 4 news release from the Department of Justice, Adnan Khan, MD, conspired with others to illegally distribute controlled substances through his business, New England Medicine and Counseling Associates in Manchester, N.H. NEMCA operated a network of practices across New England, providing clinical treatment for patients with substance use disorder.
Dr. Khan and a co-conspirator knowingly prescribed controlled substances to patients at NEMCA, who were diverting their prescriptions. He admitted to requiring patients to pay $250 in cash for office visits to receive drug prescriptions and falsified medical records, despite many patients having healthcare coverage. Dr. Khan then used the earnings to purchase an airplane and multiple properties in the region, among other assets and personally deposited the cash, including amounts over $10,000, at his bank.
Dr. Khan also acknowledged discussing with a co-conspirator his concern that pharmacies' refusal to fill prescriptions would lead to a loss of "diverters" who were "selling their meds" and represented a significant portion of NEMCA's revenue at that time.
Dr. Khan faces up to 10 years in prison and is barred from prescribing controlled substances as a condition of his release.