4 doctors charged with running ‘pill mills’
The Belmont County coroner is one of four doctors operating in Ohio and a total of 11 physicians indicted on federal charges for running “pill mill” operations that unlawfully distributed more than 17 million opioids, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Belmont County Coroner Troy Balgo, 53, of St. Clairsville, is a doctor of osteopathic medicine and the owner and operator of two medical clinics. He is charged with six counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances and one count each of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to commit unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
The federal charges against Balgo, among other things, accuse him of prescribing controlled substances to patients while he was out of the state or out of the country and submitting payment claims for health care services that he did not perform.
The other doctors with Ohio operations who were indicted include:
• Dr. Freeda Flynn, 66, a medical doctor with a practice in St Clairsville, is charged with health care fraud and eight counts of distribution of controlled substances. Flynn’s practice specialized in treating opioid addiction, but she is accused of defrauding Medicare of $9,593.81 through her fraudulent prescription of opioids on eight occasions.
• Dr. Thomas Romano, 69, is a medical doctor who was the sole owneroperator of a “cash only” clinic in Martins Ferry. Romano, who resides across the Ohio River in Wheeling, W.VA., is charged with 20 counts of diversion of controlled substances for his alleged participation in the unlawful prescription of controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
• Dr. George Griffin, 70, of Cincinnati, who operates a solo medical practice there, is charged with 20 counts of distribution of controlled substances for his alleged participation in illegally prescribing drugs outside of his professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
None of the doctors could be reached for comment Tuesday.
The indictments of the 11 physicians and two other people were part of a second round of charges filed from a large-scale investigation by the Appalachian Region Prescription Opioid strike force.
In the first takedown by the task force in April, 53 medical professionals were accused of the illegal distribution of more than 23 million pills. Eleven have entered guilty pleas so far, including seven physicians and two other medical professionals.