A Florida doctor and two family members have been arrested for running a “pill mill” from their local clinic where they allegedly double-billed patients for cash and insurance and often did not even carry out examinations.

Dr William Wilson, 68, Beverly Wilson, 66, and James Wilson, 48, were arrested on multiple charges relating to a ‘pill-mill’ operation at the Wilson Family Medical Center in the city of Pensacola in Escambia County in the US state of Florida on 12th October.

Agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) were assisted by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Norfolk (Virginia) Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the investigation.

In a statement on 12th October, the FDLE said “today (we) arrested Dr. William Wilson, 68, Beverly Wilson, 66, and James Wilson, 48, on multiple charges related to operating a pill mill. James Wilson was arrested in Pensacola; William and Beverly Wilson were arrested in Norfolk, Virginia.”

According to the FDLE, the investigated started in 2019 following complaints that the Wilson Family Medical Center was “operating as an unlicensed pain management clinic for financial gain and negligently prescribing dangerous narcotic combinations”.

The first of two raids was carried out at the clinic on 11th September 2019 when “significant evidence” was seized.

At the time, Dr Wilson also handed over his DEA registration that permitted him to prescribe controlled substances to patients.

According to the FDLE, as the investigation developed, the “analysis included file reviews by a certified expert physician with an expertise in interventional pain management, who found that all of the charts he reviewed revealed patients were prescribed controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose”.

Investigators also discovered that the clinic double-billed customers for cash and insurance and that patients “routinely received controlled substance prescriptions” without examination or clinical notes, and usually without even seeing Dr Wilson himself, instead his co-accused family members.

The FDLE said: “Agents provided the expert physician the chart of an 18-year-old male who visited the clinic at least 10 times, receiving controlled substances each visit.

“There were no notes in his chart indicating the reason for the prescriptions. On April 26, 2018, he received a prescription for oxycodone and was found dead on April 27. The Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as oxycodone toxicity.

“The investigation found that the Wilson Family Medical Center fraudulently billed Blue Cross Blue Shield for a total of USD 1,862,000 (GBP 1,358,100) and received USD 500,000 (GBP 364).”

FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Chris Williams said: “As in all professions, the majority of physicians do the right thing. From time to time, a physician does not live out the Hippocratic Oath and FDLE appreciates the help of our law enforcement partners and members of our community in working together to stop them from hurting our citizens, and hold them accountable.”

The FDLA statement continued: “William Wilson, Beverly Wilson and James Wilson were each charged with conspiracy to traffic in oxycodone (100 grams/30 kilograms), unlawful use of a two-way communications device, culpable negligence inflicting actual injury and scheme to defraud.

“James Wilson was booked into the Escambia County Jail this morning on USD 136,000 (GBP 99,178) bond. William and Beverly Wilson are being held pending extradition at the Norfolk City Jail. The Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit, will prosecute this case.”

The FDLA added that the investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be forthcoming.