A federal judge convicted a medical doctor and former member of the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) Friday for unlawfully distributing opioids.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Fletcher, 61, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a physician at Interventional Pain Specialists (IPS) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, and a board member of the KBML.
In his role at the KBML, Fletcher oversaw disciplinary proceedings against physicians, including those who improperly prescribed controlled substances.
However, Fletcher was also illegally prescribing opioids to IPS patients, including some who had tested positive for hard street drugs like cocaine and heroin, in part so he could perform and bill for lucrative and often medically unnecessary procedures on the same patients.
Trial evidence showed that seven IPS patients died of drug-related complications shortly after being prescribed opioids by Fletcher.
Fletcher was convicted of three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on each count.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
