by Ron Gregory
ronjgregory@gmail.com
CHARLESTON – Southern District United States Attorney Mike Stuart has announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Charleston returned a 15-count indictment against Muhammed Samer Nasher-Alneam, M.D.
The indictment says Nasher operated a medical practice from July 2013 to about February 2015, known as “Neurology & Pain Center, PLLC” at 401 Division Street, South Charleston. From about March 2015 to around February 2018, it was located at 4501 MacCorkle Avenue, SE, Suite A, in Charleston,
The indictment charges Nasher with nine counts of distribution of Schedule II controlled substances, including the opioids hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone, and oxymorphone, not for legitimate medical purposes and beyond the bounds of medical practice. Two of those counts allege that the unlawful distribution of opioids resulted in the death of the patient. The indictment also alleges that the doctor maintained two different office spaces for the purpose of illegally distributing drugs. Finally, the indictment alleges that Nasher transferred proceeds from drug distribution to Turkey for the purpose of concealing the nature, location, source, ownership or control of the proceeds.
Stuart commended the agencies that conducted the investigation leading to the indictment: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (OIG), and the West Virginia State Police.
The indictment is the result of the formation of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit (OFADU), a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to identify and prosecute individuals that are contributors to the national opioid crisis. The Southern District of West Virginia is one of 12 districts nationally to participate in the pilot program.
“This United States Attorney plans to hold accountable medical providers that chose greed over patient care,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Due to the funding provided because of the incredible commitment of this administration and Attorney General Sessions, we are aggressively going after doctors, pharmacies and other medical providers that contribute to the opiate epidemic purely for money. No medical provider should prey on individuals suffering from drug addiction for reasons rooted in personal greed. Far too many West Virginians lose their lives every year to opioid overdoses. The resources of the OFADU will make a big difference in our state and enable us to reverse the trend of overdose deaths. Drug dealers with a medical degree are still drug dealers.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Haley Bunn and Meredith George Thomas are handling the prosecution.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.