Six Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Operating a “Pill Mill” in Lilburn, Georgia

ATLANTA – Larry Webman, Randy Webman, Dara Webman, Dr. George Williams, George Borbas, and Liz Gaitan have been sentenced for illegally selling and distributing prescriptions for opiate-based narcotics and other controlled substances to addicts and drug dealers under the guise of a pain clinic in the Lilburn, Georgia area.  The Webman brothers were the pain clinic owners.  Dara Webman was an office manager and the daughter of Randy Webman.  Dr. George Williams was a physician at the clinic.  George Borbas was a patient and recruiter for the clinic.  Liz Gaitan was a clinic employee. 

“Larry, Randy, and Dara Webman came to Georgia for the sole purpose of profiting from the illicit prescribing of prescription narcotics to addicts and drug dealers, without regard to the safety and well-being of our community,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “Once here, they employed the services of an unscrupulous doctor and an employee with no medical training to issue bogus prescriptions for painkillers. The abuse of prescription drugs in Georgia unfortunately has led to record levels of overdoses and addiction as well as a disturbing resurgence in heroin use by people who transition from abusing prescription pain killers to using heroin.”

Daniel R. Salter, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, commented, “The success of this investigation illustrates how DEA and the law enforcement community are committed to stopping prescription drug abuse which continues to plague this country. These Pill Mill operators will spend well-deserved time in prison.”

“It is our goal as financial investigators to assist our law enforcement partners in dismantling organizations conspiring to illegally distribute and dispense large amounts of prescription meds without a legitimate medical purpose,” stated Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “The sentence today does not negate the lives that were potentially ruined due to this scheme. However, it does illustrate that IRS Criminal Investigation, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to pursuing individuals who violate the public trust and enrich themselves financially at the expense of others.”

“I’m incredibly grateful to our Federal and out of State partners who worked hand in hand with our agency to mitigate a substantial risk to our community. Peace and harmony has been restored to our business corridor where the Pain Clinic once illegally operated. We are grateful that justice has been served and that the illegal dispensing of pain medications have been eradicated from our City. These actions are due to the dedicated work from the Lilburn Police Department, DEA, IRS, NC State Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia,” said Lilburn Police Chief Bruce Hedley.

“We will always work with our law enforcement partners to combat the illegal sale and use of prescription pills that continue to harm society,” said B.W. Collier, Director, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: From approximately February 2012 through January 2013, Larry Webman and Randy Webman operated an illegal enterprise, variously known as Premier Medical Management, Inc.; Premier Pain Management, Inc.; Premier Pain Management; and Premier Pain Management and Physical Therapy, located in Lilburn, Georgia.  Dara Webman worked at the clinic as an office manager handing out prescriptions for narcotic opiates to customers in exchange for cash payments ostensibly collected for office visits.

Larry Webman and Randy Webman managed and controlled the clinic.  Though neither had any medical training, they often directed the decisions of the clinic’s physician, Dr. George Williams, with respect to prescribing controlled substances.  The clinic saw as many as 60 customers a day, each paying between $250 and $350 a visit. These customers almost always left with a prescription for controlled substances, which often included Oxycodone, a highly addictive painkiller.  The clinic’s customers regularly traveled long distances to obtain prescriptions for controlled substances.  Most hailed from outside the state, including North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, South Carolina, and Florida.  Dr. George Williams saw a customer only at the initial visit, at which time he conducted a brief examination. 

When customers made return visits, they rarely saw the clinic’s physicians, but instead obtained additional prescriptions for controlled substances based solely upon an exam by Liz Gaitan, a clinic employee with no medical authority to do so.  On at least one occasion, Dara Webman mailed opiate prescriptions to undercover officers posing as customers. 

George Borbas sponsored the visits of numerous customers to the clinic in exchange for receiving a portion of the prescription pills the customers were ultimately prescribed.  Almost all customers paid cash.  Larry Webman and Randy Webman personally used that money to promote the clinic’s ongoing illegal activity by, for example, purchasing an on-site MRI machine.

United States District Judge Steve C. Jones sentenced the defendants in this case as follows:

• Larry Webman, 68, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and engaging in a money laundering conspiracy, and was sentenced to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.

• Randy Webman, 62, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and engaging in a money laundering conspiracy, and was sentenced to eleven years in prison and three years of supervised release.

• Dr. George Williams, 48, of Duluth, Georgia, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy, and was sentenced to seven years in prison, and five years of supervised release.Williams Dr. Williams has also agreed to forfeit his State of Georgia Physician's License

• Dara Webman, 31, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty to using the mail to illegally distribute drugs, and was sentenced to one year, six months in prison, and one year of supervised release.

• George Borbas, 54, of Raleigh, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy, and was sentenced on December 29, 2015, to five years, ten months in prison.

• Liz Gaitan, 29, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, and was sentenced to four years in prison, three years of supervised release, and $525 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Lilburn Police Department, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Laurel R. Boatright, C. Brock Brockington, and Katherine Terry prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.