In Miami-Dade County, law enforcement officials have arrested twin brothers they called kingpins of Miami-Dade County's biggest pill mill network. As well, 31 others allegedly involved were arrested.
It is alleged that the two brothers collected an estimated $40 million in two years while engaged in the sale of 20 million pain pills from their string of four clinics in Broward and Palm Beach counties, federal prosecutors and police said.
The 33 people were arrested on multiple charges ranging from racketeering to fraud and illegal drug sales.
Also, one of the brothers' pain clinic physicians was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder for prescribing 210 pain pills to a man who overdosed on them a few hours later. The other brother was charged with
second-degree murder in the same case.
The bust was the fourth major assault on Miami-Dade County pill mills, although all four of the brothers' clinics were shut down in a March 2010 raid, and all or most of the 32 are out of the pain pill trade.
In the past year, Miami-Dade County law enforcement has begun an all-out assault on prescription pain clinics. This is because law enforcement and lawmakers believe that pain clinics assist in the trafficking of prescription drugs, such as
oxycodone,
aprazolam (Xanax), and
hydrocodone (Vicodin).
While it is not a crime to run a prescription pain clinic, operators and owners will be under the microscope as police and prosecutors try to determine which clinics are providing medical services to patients in need, and which clinics are handing out pills to anyone who will pay for them.
Sometimes, the line is not exactly clear. Many good, legitimate business owners get caught up in these massive pain clinic sweeps.
Eric Matheny is a criminal defense attorney serving Miami-Dade and Broward. If you or a loved one are facing trafficking charges, call today to discuss the matter confidentially.