Three Tulsans Charged for Supplying Patients with Illegal Opioid Prescriptions

TULSA, Okla. – A federal grand jury has indicted a Tulsa doctor and his two employees for conspiring to illegally distribute prescription opioids to patients, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested the trio this morning.

Dr. Christopher V. Moses, 66, Melisa D. Million, 49, and Kay Speir, 54, are charged with drug conspiracy and aiding and abetting each other to distribute Oxycodone, Fentanyl, Carisoprodol, Clonazepam, Morphine Sulfate, Hydrocodone, and Tramadol. In court filings, the United States alleged that three patients died as a result from opioids prescribed by Dr. Moses.

The defendants distributed the prescriptions from January 2010 to January 2018 at the Southside Medical Clinic in Tulsa. The indictment alleges that Dr. Moses prescribed highly addictive and often abused opioids to his patients without valid medical purpose or for reasons outside of his scope of practice and that Moses and Speir also illegally made pre-signed prescriptions for the medications available to patients when Moses was absent.

“The opioid epidemic has taken a deadly toll on communities across our nation, including here in Oklahoma. As alleged in the indictment, Dr. Moses and his co-conspirators operated a ‘pill mill’ through which they distributed highly addictive opioids without a medical purpose,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “In fact, the United States has sought detention for Dr. Moses in this case because, in part, we believe he presents a danger to our community here in Northern Oklahoma where his alleged illegal prescribing actions resulted in three people dying from opioid-related overdoses. Make no mistake, my office will vigorously prosecute unscrupulous doctors and their cohorts who enrich themselves by illegally distributing opioids.”

“The DEA is actively battling the opioid epidemic that we are facing as a nation,” said John P. Scott, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Oklahoma District. "DEA Tulsa is committed to combating the opioid problem in Northeast Oklahoma and recognizes the community impact the overprescribing of opioids plays in this epidemic.  Hopefully these arrests will act as a reminder that the DEA will continue to investigate corrupt doctors, pharmacies, and/or manufacturers who illegally distribute these highly addictive drugs.”

The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn McCormick is prosecuting the case. AUSA McCormick serves as the lead attorney for the United States Attorney’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.