Gordonsville Physician Indicted on Health Care Fraud and Controlled Substance Charges

NASHVILLE - Angela Moss, 55, of Gordonsville, Tennessee, has been charged in a federal indictment with seven counts of health care fraud and twelve counts of unauthorized distribution of controlled substances in connection with a multi-year scheme involving the prescribing of controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice, announced Braden H. Boucek, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. The indictment was unsealed following Moss's arrest.

According to the indictment, Moss owned and operated Gordonsville Clinic and prescribed medically unnecessary controlled substances to patients for more than eight years. During that period, Moss issued prescriptions totaling more than 5.6 million pills and doses of controlled substances. The indictment alleges that many of those prescriptions were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice.

The indictment further alleges that Moss prescribed excessive and inappropriate quantities and combinations of controlled substances, resulting in medically unnecessary prescriptions being issued to patients and contributing to patient abuse, misuse, and addiction. Moss allegedly failed to adequately monitor her patients' use and abuse of prescribed controlled substances and continued to prescribe excessive and inappropriate amounts of those drugs even after receiving warnings regarding her prescribing practices, including warnings from the Tennessee Department of Health.

"Medical professionals occupy positions of extraordinary trust and responsibility," said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek. "When that trust is abused through the unlawful prescribing of controlled substances, patients can suffer serious harm, addiction can flourish, and taxpayer-funded health care programs can be defrauded. Our office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who contribute to prescription drug abuse and health care fraud."

This case is part of the Department of Justice's National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a coordinated nationwide law enforcement effort targeting health care fraud schemes that exploit patients, contribute to prescription drug abuse, and defraud federal health care programs.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Chris Suedekum is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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