Indianapolis Doctor Charged In Illegal Painkiller Distribution
Dr. Segun Rasaki accused of insurance fraud and writing prescriptions for painkillers without a legitimate purpose
INDIANAPOLIS - - Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry announced today that Indianapolis physician Dr. Segun Rasaki has been charged with 24 felonies for allegedly writing prescriptions for painkiller medications without a legitimate purpose, outside the usual course of professional practice or without a license. He also faces a charge of Insurance Fraud for claims filed with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Prosecutor Curry was joined by Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller and DEA Special Agent Dennis Wichern in the announcement, each representing cooperating agencies involved in the investigation of the case.
Dr. Segun Rasaki is charged with the following:
• 23 Counts of Dealing in a Controlled Substance, a Class B Felony
• 1 Count of Dealing in a Schedule IV Controlled Substance, a Class C Felony
• 1 Count Insurance Fraud, a Class C Felony
"Prescription medications have unfortunately become the drug of choice for many who abuse drugs in our community," Prosecutor Curry stated at a morning press conference. "Let there be no mistake that we will hold accountable any unscrupulous professional who thinks they can profit by facilitating the distribution of such drugs."
As set forth in the probable cause affidavit, the investigation began in 2009 by the Medicaid Fraud Unit of the Office of the Attorney General and the DEA after the DEA began receiving calls from pharmacists about concerns of Dr. Rasaki's prescribing practices.
“This case should sound the alarm that prescription drug abuse is an epidemic in Indiana made worse by individuals such as this defendant who are accused of overprescribing addictive painkillers to patients. Having taken action to revoke Rasaki’s medical license and having worked with our local and federal colleagues on this complicated investigation, my office is alerting the public of the danger caused by overprescribing of controlled substances,” said Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, whose office recently launched www.BitterPill.IN.gov, a multiagency effort to curb prescription drug addiction.
Nineteen charges announced today relate to eleven patients identified in the course of the investigation to whom Dr. Rasaki prescribed controlled substances, including Hydrocodone, Tussionex, Methadone and Oxycodone. According to a medical specialist, a legitimate medical diagnosis was never established or confirmed for the eleven patients, and the specialist's review concluded that the controlled substances were prescribed without a legitimate medical purpose. A twentieth charge stems from the alleged prescription for Hydrocodone to an undercover DEA agent without a legitimate purpose.
Four additional charges relate to four prescriptions for controlled substances allegedly distributed by Dr. Rasaki in 2012 after his federal and state licenses were suspended. Following an undercover investigation, in December 2011 the DEA presented Dr. Rasaki with an Order to Show Cause and Immediate Suspension of Registration which stated he issued prescriptions to undercover DEA agents based on inadequate physical examination and despite indications of diversion. His Indiana Controlled Substance Registration was revoked automatically at that time.
A charge of Insurance Fraud stems from findings that Dr. Rasaki allegedly filed more than $5,000 worth of fraudulent claims with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. In a review of 100 randomly selected claims, all were determined to have been falsely billed to Anthem in such a manner to increase the profit made by Dr. Rasaki. The review identified duplicate billings for the same date of services, "ghost" office visits, and upcoding where the medical records did not support the level of services billed.
Dr. Rasaki is being held at the Marion County jail awaiting an initial hearing on Tuesday at 8:45 a.m. in Criminal Court 20.
A charge of a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Note: The charging information and probable cause affidavit for this case are available at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/161364179/Segun-Rasaki-Probable-Cause-Affidavit-and-Charging-Information
Parents and children are encouraged to educate themselves about the dangers of drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.
