HOUSTON A local doctor and a Houston police officer are among 13 people implicated in a city-wide sweep by the Drug Enforcement Administration accused of running pill mills for doctor-shopping addicts and drug resalers throughout Houston and Louisiana.
Dr. Akili Graham, 34, a Houston physician who also offers nutrition advice through seminars posted on YouTube, was arrested Thursday afternoon. Prosecutors say he acted as a front-man for four Houston-area pain-management clinics while unlicensed foreign medical graduates actually dispensed medications.
These folks have found a loophole because these drugs are considered legal, there s a prescription. said Ryan Patrick, the Harris County assistant district attorney assigned to the case. And this is feeding a huge drug problem here in the Houston area.
Prosecutors say Graham acted as the owner and operating physician at four clinics; the UMAT Clinic on W. Parker, IMED Clinic on Long Point Road, The Oaks Medical Clinic in Highlands, and the Preferred Medical Clinic on Federal Road.
But Patrick says Graham did not own the clinics, which is a state requirement for a doctor to dispense prescription medication. Prosecutors say Houston Police officer Daniel Muhammed owned two of the clinics. Durce Muhammad and Tamu Muhammad were identified as owners of Preferred Medical Clinic and UMAT.
Records show that Graham s permits to operate pain clinics were suspended earlier this year by the Texas Medical Board.
Two local pharmacies were also implicated at the locations most of the prescriptions were filled. Kenneth Hopkins and Isaiah Muhammad, who operate those pharmacies, were also charged.
Houston is the epicenter for the pain pill doctor shopping problem, probably in the country, said Patrick.
Prosecutors accuse the group of dispensing medications like hydrocodone, xanax and more, to anyone who could pay. They say clients usually come in one of two groups: clients merely trying to get large quantities of drugs to resell or addicts who are doctor shopping by going clinic to clinic to feed their addictions.
Patrick says that of the 321 pain-management clinics in Texas, more than 40 percent are in the Houston area.
The 13 suspects charged so far face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
