Police raid four Southern California clinics, three arrested on drug charges

 Posted on September 27,2011 in Drug Crimes

Three people were arrested earlier this month after a multi-agency task force conducted raids at four San Fernando Valley clinics. Police claim the clinics conducted Medicaid fraud and acted as so-called "prescription mills." Authorities claim the clinics were issuing fake prescriptions for the pain killer OxyContin.

In addition to the allegations of the fraudulent prescriptions, authorities claim the clinics were involved in drug crimes related to sales and an alleged drug trafficking operation through the four clinics.

The raids at clinics were conducted and involved a task force of local, state and federal agencies. The raids followed an investigation where authorities say undercover officers purchased prescription drugs, such as OxyContin, by presenting fake IDs at the clinics.

Two people were arrested after a raid at a clinic in Northridge. Police say one of the two people arrested had 23 vials containing a total of 2,000 pills. A third person was arrested at her home in Encino after the raids in relation to the police investigation.

In addition to the vials of pills seized in Northridge, law enforcement seized computers, financial documents and patient records during the raids. The four San Fernando Valley raids rare reportedly linked to investigations of potential drug trafficking in five other states and many of the larger counties in California, according to authorities.

Law enforcement says the people involved could face both state and federal charges ranging from fraud to drug sales and trafficking. Law enforcement says a number of unidentified people, ranging from doctors to office employees and people characterized as drug dealers could face charges in the future as a result of the raids.

Source: Daily Breeze, "Task force shuts down Valley 'prescription mills'," Sept. 2, 2011