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Arraignment Scheduled Tuesday for Doc in Prescription Opioid Takedown
By: WOUB News Team
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CINCINNATI, Ohio — One of four doctors charged in a federal operation alleging the overprescribing opioid painkillers through “pill mill” clinics in is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.
Dr. Thomas Romano, 69, of Wheeling, West Virginia, faces 20 counts of diversion of controlled substances for his alleged participation in the unlawful prescription of controlled substances outside of the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
Romano owns and operates a cash-only medical practice out of Martin’s Ferry, in Belmont County.
The charges stem from an Appalachian Region Prescription Opioid strike force operation in September that involved charges against 13 individuals total across five Appalachian federal districts. Of those charged, 12 were charged for their role in unlawfully distributing opioids and other controlled substances and 11 were physicians.
The alleged conduct resulted in the distribution of more than 17 million pills.
Three medical doctors, including Romano, and one doctor of osteopathy were charged in Ohio’s southern district in connection with several alleged “pill mill” controlled substance diversion and health care fraud schemes.
Troy Balgo, D.O., 53, of Saint Clairsville, was charged with one count of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, six counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to commit unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
He is the elected county coroner of Belmont County.
Balgo pled not guilty to the charges at his October 2 arraignment.
Dr. Freeda Flynn, 66, of Saint Clairsville, was charged with eight counts of distribution of controlled substances for her alleged participation in the unlawful prescription of controlled substances outside of the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. She was also charged with one count of health care fraud for the submission of claims for services which were medically unnecessary and/or performed below medically-accepted standards.
She owns and operates a solo practice with focuses on medical and opioid addiction treatment programs in St. Clairsville.
Flynn pled not guilty to the charges at her September 27 arraignment.
Dr. George Griffin, 70, of Cincinnati, was charged with 20 counts of distribution of controlled substances for his alleged participation in the unlawful prescription of controlled substances outside of the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
He owns and operates a solo medical practice in Cincinnati.
Griffin pled not guilty to the charges at a hearing on September 25.
The DEA, FBI and HHS-OIG, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation and the Ohio Board of Pharmacy investigated the cases in the Southern District of Ohio.
The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christopher Jason of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.