Thursday, April 23, 2009

Los Angeles Doctor On Trial For Allegedly Selling Oxycodone Prescriptions


Opening statements were held on April 23, 2009 in the trial of U.S. v. Masound Bamdad, M.D. in the Central District Court in Los Angeles. The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Arteaga, gave an opening statement while Dr. Bamdad 's attorney opted not to make an opening statement but reserved the right to do so at a later time.

Remember that Indictments contain only allegations against an individual and all defendants must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Federal authorities launched their investigation two years ago after receiving a tip regarding Dr. Bamdad's practice on Maclay Avenue in San Fernando, according to the testimony of DEA agent Susannah Herkert. Herkert testified that she ran a computer check and discovered that Dr. Bamdad was prescribing large quantities of oxycodone and OxyContin to patients younger than 30, which can be an indication of prescription abuse.

Dr. Bamdad is charged with needlessly prescribing oxycodone to more than a dozen patients. Opening statements are not evidence but the prosecutor said Dr. Bamdad admitted to receiving about $30,000 a week in cash -- or $1.5 million a year -- for prescriptions, and that agents found $60,000 in cash in a safe in his home

The Los Angeles Times reported on this case. The article can be found at:

Any questions or comments should be directed to: tgreen@greenassoc.com. Tracy Green is a principal at Green and Associates in Los Angeles, California. They focus their practice on the representation of licensed professionals and businesses in civil, business, administrative and criminal proceedings, with a specialty in health care providers.

DISCLAIMER

DISCLAIMER: Green & Associates' articles and blog postings are prepared as a service to the public and are not intended to grant rights or impose obligations. Nothing in this website should be construed as legal advice. Green & Associates' articles and blog postings may contain references or links to statutes, regulations, or other policy materials. The information provided is only intended to be a general summary. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. We encourage readers to review the specific statutes, regulations, and other interpretive materials for a full and accurate statement of their contents and contact their attorney for legal advice. The primary purpose of this website is not the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service and this website is not an advertisement or solicitation. Anyone viewing this web site in a state where the web site fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that state, should disregard this web site.

The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to create, and does not create, a lawyer-client relationship with Green & Associates, Attorneys at Law. Sending an e-mail to Tracy Green does not contractually obligate them to represent you as your lawyer, or create any type of client relationship. No attorney-client relationship will be formed absent a written engagement or retainer letter agreement signed by both Green & Associates and client and which specifies the scope of the engagement.

Please note that e-mail transmission is not secure unless it is encrypted. E-mail messages sent to Ms. Green should not include confidential or sensitive information.