DOCTOR PLEADS GUILTY IN PAINKILLER-ABUSE CASE

He Agrees To Help In U.S. Probes Of Other Health-Care Workers

PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- A physician caught in a crackdown on the illegal trade in
prescription drugs in Eastern Kentucky has entered a guilty plea that could
put him in prison for up to 20 years.

Frederick Cohn, 71, of Albuquerque, N.M., reached a plea deal with
prosecutors that will require him to cooperate in investigations of other
health-care professionals, said U.S. Attorney Gregory Van Tatenhove.

"This is an important guilty plea as we take the fight against
prescription-drug abuse to the next level by focusing on holding health
professionals accountable," Van Tatenhove said. "Dr. Cohn's conduct is the
most egregious kind that we've seen out there in taking advantage of those
who end up becoming enslaved to these prescription drugs."

Cohn was indicted in August 2001 along with a colleague, Yakov Gregorevich
Drabovsky, 54, of Paintsville, on 18 counts of prescribing painkillers
without a legitimate medical purpose. They operated a pain clinic in
Paintsville.

In his guilty plea, accepted yesterday by U.S. District Judge Karen
Caldwell in London, Cohn admitted to having dispensed up to 1 million
painkilling pills without a legitimate medical purpose, conspiring to
conduct financial transactions with money from unlawful activity, and
committing federal health-care fraud by submitting false invoices to Medicaid.

Cohn is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 23 in U.S. District Court in London.
His attorney couldn't be reached immediately for comment.

In addition to a prison term, Cohn could be fined up to $1 million. Under
the plea agreement, he will forfeit $200,000 in proceeds from his offenses.

"We're going to hold those who abuse these drugs accountable, but we're
particularly concerned right now in this office about those who are preying
on a large segment of our population, and doing it at great financial
benefit to themselves," Van Tatenhove said. "We feel like we have the
greatest impact on the problem right now by focusing on health professionals."

Cohn and Drabovsky were arrested on Aug. 2, 2001, on a criminal complaint
and were released on bond.

Seven people waiting to get into their office when federal and state
authorities raided it two years ago were arrested on charges of driving
under the influence of drugs.

Cohn received a medical license in Kentucky in 1993 but was placed on two
years' probation and ordered to never practice obstetric medicine or
perform abortions in the state. Cohn had been put on probation in New
Mexico for 10 years in 1986 for "providing inappropriate patient care."

Van Tatenhove said Cohn's cooperation in other federal cases could have an
impact on his sentence.

Before opening a clinic in Paintsville, Cohn worked at a clinic in South
Shore that was owned by Dr. David Procter. Procter was indicted by a
federal grand jury last year on charges of conspiring to distribute
prescription drugs without a legitimate medical purpose.

Procter is accused of having employed Cohn and three other doctors who
allegedly prescribed narcotics illegally. One pleaded guilty before Cohn
did and also has been required to cooperate with federal prosecutors. Two
others are awaiting trial in state courts.

State and federal law-enforcement officials have been cracking down on the
black market in addictive prescription drugs, including OxyContin, a
painkiller blamed for dozens of deaths in Eastern Kentucky.