Johnstown pain clinic owner pleads guilty to housing suboxone operation

The owner of a pain clinic in Johnstown, Pa., has pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to maintaining a drug-involved premises and laundering money.

Stephen K. Shaner, 71, of Bulger, Washington County, admitted Tuesday that between May 2012 and April 2018, he operated a suboxone clinic called SKS and employed doctors who prescribed the drug without examining patients.

On many occasions, other people employed by the Cambria County practice who had no medical training completed presigned prescriptions. Mr. Shaner also laundered the proceeds from the clinic by withdrawing money from the SKS bank account and depositing it into his own.

People with drug addictions who showed up at the clinic often left their cars idling outside while they went in and got drugs, according to court records.

Agents said patients arriving at SKS did not need to give personal histories or submit to exams but instead simply paid $90 for suboxone and left.

One of the doctors in the case admitted to distributing 32,000 doses without any medical need, and another admitted to distributing 22,000 doses. Both pleaded guilty.

One employee with no medical training filled out so many prescriptions that she submitted invoices to be paid extra for the additional work she was doing.

Federal agents began their investigation of SKS after sources said the clinic wasn’t doing any exams, blood tests or follow-up visits and that patients were just arriving and leaving with prescriptions after a few minutes. Sometimes, they left their cars running with the hazard lights blinking.

An undercover agent also went inside and found no doctors in the office. The agent spent three minutes inside, paid $90 in cash for suboxone and left.

On a typical day, 40 people arrived at SKS for their drugs.

Prosecutors had previously said the illegal operation was one of the largest of its kind in Pennsylvania.

U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon will sentence Mr. Shaner in May.