DEA, Miami-Dade Police Bust Pill Mill Operation In Cutler Bay
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A Miami doctor and two office managers were arrested Tuesday on charges of operating a pill mill.
Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration's Miami office and Miami-Dade police officers arrested Dr. Armando Falcon, who owned and operated Pain Center of Cutler Bay.
Office managers Claudia Centeno and Reveka Karagianni were also arrested in Tuesday's joint operation.
The investigation revealed both women printed prescriptions for large quantities of oxycodone, even before Falcon arrived to work, in an effort to expedite the process.
Authorities said the pain management clinic operated as a cover to illegally sell large quantities of prescription painkillers.
Falcon would meet with patients for less than two minutes before writing prescriptions for approximately 150, 30 mg, oxycodone pills, authorities said.
He would see 20 to 25 patients a day and would only accept cash payments, earning him more than a million dollars a year, the investigation revealed.
Authorities said bank records revealed Falcon used the money to purchase beach apartments, boats, expensive cars, and houses.
All three face serious charges, including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, trafficking oxycodone, money laundering, continuing a criminal enterprise, and structuring transactions to evade reporting.