News Release [print friendly page]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2007

Contact:
Contact: Waldo P. Santiago
Public Information Officer
Number: 1-800-718-0781

Seven Doctors Indicted in Puerto Rico
Those Arrested Sold $3.3 Million Worth of Illegal Prescriptions over Internet

JAN 29--(SAN JUAN) – Jerome Michael Harris, Special Agent in Charge, Caribbean Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Velez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, and Ralph Culkin, Resident Agent in Charge, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA/OCI), today announced the indictment of seven doctors licensed to practice medicine in Puerto Rico. Charges include conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, wire fraud, and money laundering. In addition, a forfeiture allegation in the amount of $3.3 million dollars was also included in the indictment.

Those arrested (location of arrest) as part of DEA’s Operation Click4Drugs are:

• Dr. Alfred VALDIVIESO-Rodriguez (Tampa, Florida)
• Dr. Juan A. TOSADO-Polanco (Santa Isabel, PR)
• Blanca I. PLAZA-Rodriguez (Dorado, PR)
• Maileen LUGO-Torres (Cabo Rojo, PR)
• Abelardo E. LECOMPTE-Torres (Ponce, PR)
• Norberto J. SEDA-Olmo (Parma Heights, Ohio)
• Juan M. RAMOS-Gonzalez (Houston, Texas)

Operation Click 4 Drugs targeted an organization which distributed large quantities of Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances via the internet. These doctors issued thousands of illegal prescriptions through the internet for drugs such as Hydrocodone, Phentermine and Diazepam. The physicians were involved with Internet Facilitation Centers and Internet pharmacies that solicited customers throughout the United States who were seeking controlled substances. These centers would then refer the customers to these physicians using numerous web sites and e-mail addresses. The doctors would review on-line questionnaires and electronically approve a prescription via the internet. Then pharmacies in the United States would ship the controlled substances via private carriers to customers in numerous jurisdictions within the 50 states.

These physicians prescribed controlled substances and dangerous drugs to internet customers without establishing patient history, performing a mental or physical exam, using appropriate diagnostic or laboratory testing, or providing a means to monitor medication response. The prescriptions were issued after only an alleged internet consultation and without a legitimate medical purpose.

These physicians issued prescriptions in states where they did not possess a license to practice medicine or a DEA registration to lawfully handle controlled substances which is in violation of the Controlled Substance Act.

Operation Click4Drugs Presentation >>