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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAn Indianapolis physician has been charged with 24 felonies for allegedly overprescribing painkillers to patients.
Dr. Segun Rasaki, 49, prescribed controlled substances such as hydrocone, methadone and oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose, according to charges announced Monday by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. Rasaki also faces a charge of insurance fraud.
"Prescription medications have unfortunately become the drug of choice for many who abuse drugs in our community," Prosecutor Terry Curry said Monday. "Let there be no mistake that we will hold accountable any unscrupulous professional who thinks they can profit by facilitating the distribution of such drugs."
Rasaki, who was being held Monday in the Marion County Jail, describes himself as an "independent hospital and health care professional" on his LinkedIn page. His practice’s website says his offices are at 6855 Shore Terrace.
In an unrelated case, Rasaki was convicted in 2012 of sexually abusing patients. The state’s medical licensing board revoked his medical license in the same year.
The current charges stem from a joint investigation started in 2009 by the Medicaid fraud unit of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Federal investigators had received calls from pharmacists concerned with Rasaki’s prescribing practices.
Nineteen of the felony charges related to 11 patients identified during the investigation. A 20th charge stemmed from the alleged prescription of hydrocodone to an undercover DEA agent.
Four additional charges related to four prescriptions for controlled substances allegedly distributed by Rasaki in 2012 after his federal and state licenses were suspended.
According to court documents, Rasaki allegedly filed more than $5,000 worth of fraudulent claims with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
In a review of 100 randomly selected claims, investigators found duplicate billings for the same date of services, "ghost" office visits, and upcoding where the medical records did not support the level of services billed.
An initial hearing is scheduled Tuesday in a Marion County court. Rasaki doesn't yet have an attorney.
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