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Veterinarian Indicted In Drug Trafficking Investigation
< < Back to veterinarian-indicted-in-drug-trafficking-investigationZANESVILLE – A Muskingum County veterinarian who was indicted following a two-year multi-agency investigation into a prescription drug trafficking ring has pleaded guilty to 11 charges.
The Zanesville Times Recorder reports that as part of a plea deal with Muskingum County prosecutors, 53-year-old Dr. Michael Smith must voluntarily surrender his DEA registration and no longer write prescriptions.
The state is recommending a two-year prison sentence for Smith, the owner of Smith Veterinary Services. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors will not oppose judicial release when Smith is eligible.
Judge Kelly Cottrill released Smith until his sentencing date, which has not yet been scheduled.
Smith was arrested in February after a state, city and county investigation uncovered an inordinate amount of prescriptions for a certain pain reliever, guns and other records.
Smith was scheduled to go to trial next week on 37 counts related to the investigation.
The state dropped the majority of those charges in exchange for his guilty plea.