COLUMBUS – Two Columbus-area doctors are among more than a dozen medical professionals in Ohio and six other states charged with illegal distribution of painkillers.
Federal officials on Wednesday announced the indictment against 14 defendants in Ohio, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, West Virginia and Tennessee.
Overdose deaths attributed to opioids continued to rise in the country, even as the crisis was overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Anyone seeking help with drug addiction in Ohio can call the Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Service helpline: 1-877-275-6364
Twelve of the defendants were licensed medical professionals when they were charged, Kenneth Parker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said.
Dr. Eskender Getachew, 57, of Columbus, was charged with illegally prescribing buprenorphine, dextroamphetamine-amphetamine, and clonazepam while he owned Polaris Wellness and Recovery Center.
Dr. Charles Kistler, 77, of Upper Arlington, was charged with unlawful distribution of controlled substances while practicing at Midtowne Family Practice Clinic in Columbus, Parker said.
One of those named in the indictments is a a Kentucky dentist, whose unlawful morphine prescriptions allegedly led to the overdose death of a 24-year-old patient.
The indictments stemmed from the efforts of the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force, which has charged 111 defendants with crimes related to the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids since its inception in 2019, Parker said.