PIKEVILLE, Ky. –  Several eastern Kentucky doctors are among 60 people charged  as part of a multi-state drug roundup. The Appalachian Regional Prescription Opiod Strike Force conducted the investigation, which resulted in charges against 31 physicians, seven Pharmacists, eight Nurse Practitioners and seven other licensed medical professionals in seven states.

News of the roundup traveled quickly following the arrest of a Pikeville doctor and his former office manager Wednesday morning.  47 year old Scott Akers and 32 year old Serissa L. Collier also known as Serissa Stamper are each facing seven counts of unlawfully distributing quantities of hydrocodone, oxycodone and fentanyl.  According to documents filed in federal court, Akers owned and operated a pain management clinic in Pikeville where Collier was employed.  However, Akers closed the clinic in 2016 and allegedly began dispensing prescriptions for pain medication from Akers’ residence where Collier resided from time to time.  Authorities say Collier would message patients of Akers through Facebook Messenger and arrange to meet them in various parking lots around Pikeville to exchange prescriptions signed by Akers for cash.  Akers and Collier are each facing seven charges, which are one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and six counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.  Each count carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a one million dollar fine.

Another Pikeville doctor who owns and operates five pain management clinics was among those charged in the multi-state investigation. Dr. Sai Gutti, who owns a total of five clinics in eastern Kentucky, is facing eight counts of Healthcare Fraud for billing Medicare and Medicaid for services that were either not done or not medically necessary, specifically urine testing.  Gutti’s pain clinic in Pikeville was the center of attention on March 25th when several DEA agents were seen entering and exiting the building.  That scene was duplicated in Gutti’s four other clinics, which were all closed for the day.  Gutti’s charges are for offenses which allegedly took place between August of 2016 and March 25th, 2019.  Sai Gutti was not arrested, but was issued a summons to be arraigned in US District Court in Lexington on April 25th.  If convicted, Gutti faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the eight counts against him and a potential total fine of over $2.5 million dollars.

Pike County was not the only county involved in the roundup.  A Floyd County pain management physician was also arrested Wednesday morning.  Doctor Mohammed Mazumder, owner of Appalachian Primary Care in Prestonsburg, is facing 10 federal charges. Mazumder’s charges involve both Medicare Fraud and prescription drug charges. He was charged with one count to commit health care fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and three counts unlawful distribution and dispensing of a controlled substance.  In this case, investigators allege Dr. Mazumder provided pre-signed, blank prescriptions to his staff who used them to prescribe narcotics when he was out of the office.  Mazumder faces maximum prison sentences of 10 years each on three counts, 20 years each on 2 counts and five years on one count and up to five million dollars in fines.

The final person arrested Wednesday morning was a Floyd County dentist.  Denver D. Tackett, DMD, owner of Tackett Family dentistry in McDowell is facing charges dating back as far as 2003. Tackett allegedly submitted claims for dental procedures he did not perform as well as for procedures that were unnecessary, resulting in one count of Healthcare Fraud.  Tackett was also charged with 15 counts of illegally distributing and dispensing Hydrocodone and Oxycodone. He faces maximum sentences of up to 10 years in prison for the Healthcare Fraud and 20 years imprisonment on each of the 15 drug charges.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the combined charges against 60 people are for over 350,000 prescriptions that resulted in over 32 million pills being dispensed to more than 28,000 patients.