Naples 'pill mill' doc to serve 3 years in federal prison, forfeit 9 cars and cash
An aging Naples doctor who faced up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty as part of a pill mill operation will serve three years and forfeit nine vehicles and $400,000.
U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell sentenced Gerald Abraham, 76, on Monday to three years in federal prison for dispensing oxycodone and amphetamine for no legitimate medical purpose.
The court ordered Abraham to forfeit to the United States: a 2020 Acura NSX, a 2020 Porsche GT4, a 2021 Toyota Supra, a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, a 2020 Aston Martin, a 2020 Nissan 370Z, a 2020 Chevrolet Camaro, two 2020 Ford Mustangs, $190,496.56 paid toward a 2021 Aston Martin, and $249,598.52 in cash.
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According to court documents, Abraham was a licensed psychiatrist who practiced in Naples. His clinic, at 11983 U.S 41 N., Suite 120, operated on a cash-only basis, with patients paying $400 per visit.
In October 2019, the DEA began the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, the Naples Police Department and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
The DEA conducted 18 undercover patient visits to Abraham’s office, each time receiving prescriptions for oxycodone.
Abraham ignored signs of drug abuse the undercover patients pretended to have and prescribed them oxycodone without examining them, the DEA reported.
Additionally, Abraham repeatedly increased the strength of the prescriptions when the patient asked him for more. In one instance, he prescribed an undercover patient oxycodone after telling him the medical paperwork “shows you are completely normal," the prosecutors revealed.
The investigation also revealed that Abraham frequently prescribed Adderall to patients for no legitimate reason.
Adderall is the brand name of a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and contains amphetamine, a frequently abused controlled substance.
On multiple occasions, law enforcement observed Abraham prescribe Adderall simply upon a patient’s request, without asking any questions or engaging in any examination justifying the prescription.
Naples Daily News reporter Liz Freeman contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples doctor to serve three years in prison and forfeit cars, cash
