PAINKILLER ADS LEAD TO STING, DRUG ARRESTS

Doctor,Owner, Staff Charged

ST. PETERSBURG - Pinellas County narcotics detectives swooped down on
a popular walk-in medical clinic Monday morning and arrested a
physician, two other staff members and two patients on drug-related charges.

Meanwhile, other agents arrested the clinic's owner, chiropractor
[REDACTED], in the parking lot of the Best Buy store in the Tyrone
area, sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner said. [REDACTED] was carrying more
than $10,000 in cash, Bordner said.

The coordinated drug bust capped a five-month undercover
investigation, called Operation Pain Relief, at Doctors Urgent Care
Walk-In Clinic, 4900 33rd Ave. N. Six agencies took part.

The walk-in clinic treated legitimate patients as well as people who
detectives believe are addicts and pushers, so officials are
implementing the search warrant carefully to protect patient privacy.
Work was continuing in the clinic Monday night.

Dorothy Watsan of Holiday was at the clinic Monday when she was
startled by the entry of a team from the sheriff's office, the
Florida Attorney General's Office, the Florida Department of Health
and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

"They yelled out, 'Hands behind your head,' 'Drop your purses,' and
everything," said Watsan, 53.

[REDACTED]'s operation, which was formerly called the Acropolis
Chiropractic and Sports Medicine clinic, seemed to increase its
number of patients after he changed the name, hired physicians and
began running ads with the headline "Need Painkillers?" The ads
listed several controlled narcotics: Vicodin, Percocet, OxyContin and Xanax.

At times, customers formed lines at the door each morning and cars
overflowed the parking lot. The sheriff's office said it launched the
undercover operation after receiving numerous complaints.

[REDACTED]'s business model for selling pain medications was
criticized by physicians and other medical authorities in a Tribune
story last month.

Deputies who posed as patients found it was easy to get prescriptions
for controlled narcotics in exchange for cash, without the usual
physical examinations, said Capt. Michael Platt, commander of the
Pinellas Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division.

Platt described the clinic as a "pill mill."

In interviews at the clinic Monday morning, patients Watsan and
28-year-old Jose Calmeron of St. Petersburg said they paid $245 in
cash on the first visit. Watsan said she immediately got a
prescription for OxyContin and a painkiller skin patch.

Platt said the clinic staff told patients to fill the prescriptions
at a particular pharmacy, which he declined to identify. Detectives
who conducted surveillance at the pharmacy saw some customers selling
pills in the parking lot, he said.

The sheriff's office identified those arrested as:

# [REDACTED] Bayside Drive S., St. Petersburg, was charged with three
counts of practicing medicine without a license because, as a
chiropractor, he cannot write prescriptions, Platt said. Petro also
was charged with trafficking in more than 28 grams of Hydrocodone,
which carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years, and with two
counts of racketeering in narcotics.

Court records show [REDACTED]'s only previous brush with authorities
was citation in December for operating an adult establishment, Vegas
Showgirls on Gandy Boulevard in Pinellas, without a license. That
case is pending.

# [REDACTED], , an osteopath, which under Florida law is equivalent
to a medical doctor, of [REDACTED] 22nd Ave. S.E., St. Petersburg.
[REDACTED], 71, was charged with two counts of practicing medicine
without a license, one count of racketeering in narcotics and one
count of trafficking in oxycodone.

The nature of the charge of practicing without a license is unclear.
The sheriff's office said her license was expired; however, a state
Department of Health spokeswoman said Monday night that Eicher holds
a current Florida license, and the state Web site for health
professionals indicates she has a clean record.

# Physician's assistant [REDACTED], Clearwater, who was charged with
four counts of practicing medicine without a license, three counts of
racketeering in narcotics and one count of trafficking in hydrocodone.

# Officer manager [REDACTED], 33, was arrested on one count of
practicing medicine without a license and one count of trafficking in
hydrocodone. His address was listed as [REDACTED], Tampa.

# Clinic patient [REDACTED] Jamaica Road, Venice, was arrested on an
outstanding drug warrant.

# Patient [REDACTED] N. Burnwood Ave., Clearwater, was charged with
possession of a controlled substance and probation violation.

All other patients were allowed to leave after questioning.

The sheriff's office said its investigation is continuing.