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Local doctor faces federal drug charge

WHEELING — A federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg has indicted two doctors and a business partner who are accused of illegally distributing controlled substances from a drug treatment center in Weirton over a period of eight years.

U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced Tuesday the grand jury indicted Dr. George P. Naum, 58, of Wheeling; Eric Drake, 47, of Weirton; and Dr. Felix Brizuela Jr., 61, of Harrison City, Pa.

Naum was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances outside the bounds of professional medical practice and 10 counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of controlled substances outside the bounds of professional medical practice.

Drake was indicted on the same charges as Naum, in addition to one count each of distribution of a controlled substance and maintaining a drug-involved premise.

Brizuela was indicted on 21 counts of distribution of controlled substances outside the bounds of professional medical practice, one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances outside the bounds of professional medical practice and 15 counts of illegal remuneration in violation of the federal anti-kickback statute.

The three are accused of conspiring to distribute controlled substances illegally from Advance Healthcare Inc., a Weirton drug-treatment facility, from 2008-16.

Brizuela also is accused of distributing oxycodone, oxymorphone, fentanyl and other controlled substances illegally in Monongalia County from 2013-15, and is accused of accepting financial kickbacks in exchange for directing urine samples for drug testing to a specific company.

Brizuela faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of the distribution counts, up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000 for the conspiracy charge and up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000 for the kickback charge.

Naum faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of the distribution and conspiracy charges, and up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for the maintaining a drug premise charge.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Wagner and Robert H. McWilliams Jr. are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. Numerous agencies were involved in the investigation, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the West Virginia offices of the Insurance Commissioner’s Fraud Division, the West Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Ohio Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud division, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the Hancock-Brook-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Greater Harrison County Drug Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and the Weirton Police Department.

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