Highland County dentist, assistant indicted in federal 'opioid takedown'

A Highland County dentist and dental assistant were among those indicted in what the Drug Enforcement Administration described as “a historic nationwide enforcement action involving 345 charged defendants across 51 federal districts, including more than 100 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals,” according to information posted by the DEA.

A press release announcing the “National Health Care Fraud and Opioid Takedown” said that nationwide, “defendants have been charged with submitting more than $6 billion in false and fraudulent claims to federal health care programs and private insurers, including more than $4.5 billion connected to telemedicine, more than $845 million connected to substance abuse treatment facilities, or ‘sober homes,’ and more than $806 million connected to other health care fraud and illegal opioid distribution schemes across the country.”