In a landmark legal decision, Dr. Richard Miron, an 83-year-old physician from Dracut, Massachusetts has pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and multiple other charges related to illegally prescribing opioids. The conviction, which includes Medicaid fraud, marks the first of its kind in Massachusetts for a doctor linked to opioids prescriptions and involuntary manslaughter. Miron's plea was announced by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) and he faced sentencing on November 17, at Middlesex County Superior Court.
According to news released by the Massachusetts AGO, Dr. Miron received a sentence of 2.5 years in a House of Correction, suspended for 5 years for the Illegal Prescribing charges, while the Involuntary Manslaughter charges led to 5 years of probation. Dr. Miron was also given a 6-month suspended sentence for Medicaid fraud, to be served concurrently. He has been ordered full restitution to MassHealth, and is barred from reinstating his medical license or practicing medicine.
Dr. Miron's actions came to light following an investigation which found that he prescribed high doses of opioids without medical justification to various patients, including those with documented substance use disorders – leading to MassHealth being falsely charged for medications. The patient whose death spurred the involuntary manslaughter charge was found by the Chief Medical Examiner to have died from acute intoxication due to a combination of opioids, all prescribed by Dr. Miron.
The case reflects a wider effort by the AGO to address the causes of the opioid crisis, and hold responsible those who have exacerbated the epidemic. In the broader fight against opioid abuse, the AGO has successfully secured substantial settlements from opioid manufacturers amounting to over $1 billion for Massachusetts to date, with a portion distributed across communities for opioid prevention, and treatment efforts. Among these settlements was a notable $7.4 billion agreement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, according to the AGO's announcement.
For its commitment to combating Medicaid fraud and health care provider-related crimes, the AGO's Medicaid Fraud Division has been duly certified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It receives a majority of its funding from the federal government to investigate such cases. The team responsible for this case includes Senior Trial Counsel Elisha Willis and Managing Attorney Katie Cooper Davis, among others. Assistance was also provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration and various state and local law enforcement agencies. Massachusetts residents can report Medicaid fraud or abuse and neglect of patients through the AGO's website.
