Doctor accused of overprescribing opioids pleads guilty; faces 15 years prison time

BOSTON (AP) — At Dr. Fathalla Mashali's pain management clinics, the waiting rooms were often so packed with patients that people sat on the floor, leaned against walls and spilled into the hallways.

That's because, federal prosecutors say, Mashali was prescribing oxycodone and other powerful opioid painkillers at alarming rates to people making risky use of drugs. At one point, they say, Mashali wrote out more oxycodone prescriptions in one month — over 1,100 — than some of the largest hospitals in Massachusetts.

Mashali pleaded guilty Wednesday to 44 counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering, offering a brief apology during his change-of-plea hearing in U.S. District Court.

"I'm very sorry. I hurt my family. I hurt my patients," Mashali said.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 21. Prosecutors said in a court filing that federal sentencing guidelines call for 12½ to 15½ years in prison. Prosecutors nationwide have cracked down on so-called pill mills like the pain management clinics run by Mashali, places where prescriptions are often handed out without physical exams or tests to determine whether a legitimate condition requires pain medication.

Prosecutors in Boston said Mashali would often see more than 100 patients in one day. A medical assistant who worked at one of Mashali's offices told investigators that only about 5 percent of his patients had legitimate medical conditions.

Mashali, 62, was born in Egypt and received a medical degree from Cairo University. He moved to the United States more than 30 years ago, became a permanent resident, got married, had four children and served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve.

In the 2000s, Mashali began operating a pain management clinic, eventually opening three offices in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island.