Date: 01-03-2020

Case Style:

Case Number: 2:19-cr-00009-JPJ-PMS

Judge: James P. Jones

Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Washington County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Martha Suzanne Kerney-Quillen

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description: Abingdon, VA - The United States of America charged Dr. Raymond Michael Moore with illegally dispensing drugs.

Dr. Raymond Michael Moore, 61, of Wise, Va., who had a medical practice in Norton, Va., pleaded guilty to fourteen federal charges, including illegally prescribing more than 25,000 oxycodone pills, more than 17,000 hydrocodone pills, and more than 10,000 benzodiazepine pills; obtaining drugs by fraud; health care fraud; making a false statement to law enforcement; and failing to maintain required records.

“The public places great trust in physicians to act as gatekeepers to the powerful prescription drugs that have come to plague our communities,” First Assistant United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar said today. “When they choose greed over their important obligation to help heal people, we will aggressively prosecute these doctors and seek to remove their ability to contribute to the opioid epidemic.”

According to evidence, Moore issued prescriptions for opioids and benzodiazepines without a legitimate medical purpose and beyond the bounds of medical practice. In addition, Moore originally told law enforcement that controlled substances found during execution of search warrants were returned from patients and were to be destroyed. He later admitted those controlled substances were for his personal use.

Pursuant to his plea agreement, Moore will pay more than $50,000 in restitution to Virginia Medicaid, will forfeit more than $100,000, and agreed to never again be a medical provider.

At sentencing Moore faces a maximum sentence of imprisonment for a term of 80 years and a maximum fine of $4.25 million.

Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, is prosecuting the case for the United States. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the Virginia State Police, and the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force. Assistance with the search warrants was provided by the Norton Police Department, Big Stone Gap Police Department, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Bristol Police Department, Wise Police Department, Martinsville Police Department, Buena Vista Police Department, Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney, and the United States Department of Justice’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force.

Charges:

21:843A=CD.F - UNLAWFUL ACTS - CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE - DISTRIBUTION - 21 USC 843(a)(3) and 843(d)(1) - Obtained Drugs by Fraud (6/12/2019)
(1-9)
21:841A=CD.F - CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE - SELL, DISTRIBUTE, OR DISPENSE - 21:841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) - Oxycodone and Hydrocodone (6/12/19)
(1s)
21:841A=CD.F - CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE - SELL, DISTRIBUTE, OR DISPENSE - 21:841(a)(1) and 841(b)(2) - Alprazolam, Diazepam, Lorazepam, Clonazepam and Tramadol (6/12/19)
(2s)
18:1347.F - HEALTH CARE FRAUD - (6/12/19)
(3s)
21:843A=CD.F - UNLAWFUL ACTS - CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE - DISTRIBUTION - 21 USC 843(a)(4)(A) and 843(d)(1) - Furnished False and Fraudulent Information in Required Reports (6/12/2019)
(10)
18:1001.F - STATEMENTS OR ENTRIES GENERALLY - (6/12/2019)
(11)

Outcome: 12/19/2019 27 ORAL ORDER Referring Guilty Plea Hearing to Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent as to Raymond Michael Moore. Entered by Judge James P. Jones on 12/19/19. (flc)
12/19/2019 28 NOTICE RESCHEDULING HEARING (FTR) previously set for 12/19/19 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge James P. Jones in Abingdon as to Raymond Michael Moore (BOND) (No Interpreter requested: Change of Plea Hearing reset for 12/19/2019 at 10:00 a.m. in Abingdon before Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent. **CHANGE IN PRESIDING JUDGE ONLY**(flc)
12/19/2019 29 WAIVER OF INDICTMENT by Raymond Michael Moore (ejs)
12/19/2019 30 Minute Entry for proceedings held before Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent:Guilty Plea Hearing as to Raymond Michael Moore held on 12/19/2019 Plea entered by Raymond Michael Moore (1) Guilty Count 1-9,1s,2s,3s,10,11.. Defendant remains on Bond. (FTR Operator: Ella Surber)(ejs)
12/19/2019 31 Consent to Allow United States Magistrate Judge to Accept Plea as to Raymond Michael Moore by Raymond Michael Moore (ejs)
12/19/2019 32 ORAL ORDER as to Raymond Michael Moore finding defendant competent and capable of making an informed plea; finding that the plea is made knowingly and voluntarily and is supported by an adequate basis in fact establishing all the essential elements of the offense. The court accepts the plea of guilty and recommends that the district judge find the defendant guilty of the charge(s). Signed by Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent on 12/19/19. (ejs)
12/19/2019 33 NOTICE OF HEARING as to Raymond Michael Moore (BOND) (CR) Sentencing set for 3/26/2020 02:00 PM in Abingdon before Judge James P. Jones.(ejs)
12/19/2019 34 FTR Log Notes as to Raymond Michael Moore for Guilty Plea in the Abingdon Division in CR2 held before Judge Pamela Meade Sargent on 12/19/19. In accordance with 28 USC 753(b), I certify that I monitored the digital recording of this proceeding and that it is a true and correct record, that it is sufficiently intelligible when played on the FTR (For the Record) Player, and that it can be transcribed without undue difficulty. FTR Operator: Ella Surber (ejs)

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Defendant's Experts:

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