Nine individuals in the Metro Detroit area, including three doctors, have been charged with conspiracy in a scheme involving illegal opioid distribution, U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison announced. The indictment alleges that between June 2021 and September 2024, Sharlene Dawson, also known as Sharlene Crawford, operated the P&A Aftercare clinic in Southfield as the operation hub. Doctors Charles Wasson, Maurice Potts, and Bruce Kaplan are accused of prescribing controlled substances to "fake patients" created by the scheme organizers, as per the Audacy report.
In what appears to be a calculated abuse of the healthcare system, the alleged conspirators are said to have recruited individuals to pose as patients, receive prescriptions, and subsequently, they were to fill the scripts at local pharmacies. Recruiters Lanise Gortman, Aaron Thomas, Valecia Logan, and Antoine Arnold are among the accused in the case. According to a report by ClickOnDetroit, the primary substances distributed included Oxycodone, Percocet, and Norco, which were then peddled on the streets.
The charge list extends to Desiree King, who is said to have collaborated closely with the recruiters, managing the front office at the clinic where these drugs were prescribed and distributed. King's role was pivotal in ensuring the smooth operation of this illegal chain, facilitating the creation of the false paper trail that enabled the operation to flourish.
The indictment suggests that over $20 million in fraudulent billings were charged to Medicare and Medicaid for these unnecessary medications. The Oakland Press outlines the depth of the conspiracy, noting most prescriptions were cash transactions with the maintenance drugs falsely billed to healthcare benefit programs.
