St. Louis County Dentist Sentenced to 18 Months After Issuing Illegal Prescriptions for Opioid Narcotic Drug and Medicare Fraud

St. Louis, MO – Bradley A. Seyer, D.D.S., 53, of Florissant, Missouri, was sentenced today to 18 months of imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.  Previously, on June 26, 2019, Dr. Seyer pleaded guilty to two felony charges of making false statements to Medicare and illegally issuing prescriptions for narcotic opioid drugs, including Hydrocodone, without a legitimate medical purpose. 

According to the plea agreement, Dr. Seyer provided a prescription for Hydrocodone to a woman identified by her initials E.A.  Dr. Seyer had a personal relationship with E.A. that lasted over ten years.  Dr. Seyer gave E.A. money and jewelry, and took her on vacation trips.  During their relationship, defendant prescribed E.A. with over 14,000 units of various anti-anxiety and opioid narcotic pain relief drugs.  Dr. Seyer prepared and kept some dental treatment records for E.A., but they were incomplete.  Dr. Seyer’s records failed to contain all of the prescriptions that he issued for E.A.  Further, the records did not document office visits and examinations by Dr. Seyer of E.A. before he issued some of the prescriptions to her.

In his plea agreement, Dr. Seyer admitted that he and E.A. together consumed some "street" and prescription drugs for recreational purposes.  E.A. often requested prescription drugs by text, leading Dr. Seyer to call in the prescriptions at her request.  E.A. was depressed and had suicidal ideation, and had a history of mental illness.  On several occasions during the Summer of 2018, Dr. Seyer and E.A. discussed her desire to commit suicide.  Ultimately, E.A. died at her home during July, 2018 of a fentanyl overdose, although Dr. Seyer did not prescribe fentanyl to E.A. 

Further, in the plea agreement, Dr. Seyer admitted that he prescribed Tramadol® to E.A.’s father, identified by his initials in the plea agreement as G.A.  G.A. has Medicare coverage.  Dr. Seyer had no records showing any dental treatment for G.A.  However, Dr. Seyer issued five prescriptions to E.A. using G.A.'s name, and Medicare paid for these five prescriptions, including a Tramadol® prescription dated December 2, 2015.

Shortly after Dr. Seyer pled guilty in this case, effective August 28, 2019, the Missouri Legislature restricted the ability of dentists to write prescriptions for long-acting, extended release, or high dosage opioids.  Mo. Rev. Stat. § 332.361(4)-(5).   

“The DEA will utilize all the enforcement tools we have against medical professionals who knowingly and willfully prescribe opioid prescriptions improperly,” said Special Agent in Charge William Callahan of the Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division. “I commend the Missouri Legislature for recognizing this opioid prescribing challenge by regulating the ability of dentists to write prescriptions for certain kinds of opioids.”

Curt Mueller, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Kansas City Region, stated, “Our office will continue to vigorously pursue healthcare providers who submit improper claims for reimbursement to publicly funded healthcare programs and, more specifically abuse their position by irresponsibly prescribing narcotics that endanger the well-being of their patients.”

“The Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works tirelessly every day to ensure that Missouri citizens are protected from Medicaid fraud and fraudulent actors are held accountable. I appreciate the opportunity to work with our federal and local partners on this case,” said Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

This case was investigated by the Department of Public Safety for the City of Des Peres, Missouri and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs of the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.