A West Bloomfield man and his employees are facing serious charges after authorities busted a "pill mill" operation in a Detroit pain clinic, officials said. Salahuddin Ahmad, a 69-year-old who owns Managing Health Pain Clinic on 8 Mile Road, was arraigned on multiple charges, including running a criminal enterprise and illegal drug distribution.
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office, as reported by WWJ Newsradio, Ahmad allegedly dispensed prescriptions for Norcos, a potent painkiller, without conducting necessary physical evaluations. Patients reportedly paid cash for these prescriptions, which were then filled at local pharmacies. The Michigan State Police led the undercover operation that exposed the illicit activities.
Alongside Ahmad, one of his employees faces identical charges, and two others are slammed with the same set, excluding the felony firearm count. "The over proliferation of pain pills continues to exacerbate the opioid crisis plaguing our state, and nation," Nessel said in a statement obtained by the Michigan Department of Attorney General. "Flooding the streets with pain pills and ignoring prescription protocol, to churn a fast and steady profit, is not a business model — it’s a criminal enterprise, and one, we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."
Authorities have expressed increasing concern over the role such clinics may play in the ongoing opioid crisis. A probable cause conference for Ahmad is set for April 9th, and a preliminary examination on April 16th. The charged associates of Ahmad have yet to face arraignment. This latest crackdown underscores the continuing efforts to combat the illegal distribution of prescription narcotics in Michigan.
