June 19, 2015 at 5:10 p.m.
Former Woodruff doctor facing drug charges
Heath J. Meyer, 45, made his initial appearance on June 15 before Branch I Judge Patrick O'Melia on two counts each of manufacture or delivery of schedule I, II narcotics and manufacturer or delivery of schedule IV drugs, all as a party to a crime. The charges stem from incidents that date back to 2008 and were the result of a John Doe investigation conducted by the Oneida County District Attorney's office in July 2014. In addition to a detective with the Oneida County Sheriff's Office, the Park Falls Police Department and United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration were involved in the investigation.
The investigation began after a pharmacist in Park Falls contacted that city's police department to report that a doctor from Howard Young was obtaining prescription painkillers from that pharmacy using forged prescriptions. After investigating the claims, it was determined that Meyer had allegedly obtained Tramadol on 10 occasions and from two different pharmacies in Park Falls using forged prescriptions between November 2011 and June 2012. At that point, the DEA assigned an investigator to the case.
In October 2012, the doctor whose signatures were allegedly forged on the prescriptions was interviewed and confirmed that all but one of the signatures were not hers. Investigators then interviewed several of Meyer's co-workers and they received information that the CEO of HYMC may have received a letter alleging Meyer was writing prescriptions for the mother of a woman who worked at HYMC and also served as Meyer's child care provider. The letter alleged that the prescriptions were written for the mother, who was in hospice care at the time, filled by the woman, who then turned the drugs over to Meyer.
After further investigation detectives determined that the woman had also obtained hydrocodone and diazepam from a number of pharmacies using prescriptions written by Meyer.
The woman was called to testify during the John Doe proceeding convened before O'Melia. She testified that beginning in 2008, Meyer wrote prescriptions for her because she had prescription drug insurance and her mother didn't. According to the complaint, she said that Meyer knew the drugs were meant for the woman's mother, not her, when he wrote the prescriptions.
She also testified that after her mother died in 2010, Meyer continued to write her prescriptions for the pain medicines, but that she would turn the drugs over to him. She said Meyer wanted the drugs because he was suffering from knee and back injuries "and it wouldn't look good for him to have that type of medication in his name because he was a physician," the investigator's report states.
Through the records of the woman's health insurance, it was learned that she had prescriptions filled for various painkillers at two different Minocqua area pharmacies.
Meyer has since left HYMC and voluntarily surrendered his license to practice medicine.
Meyer appeared before O'Melia with attorney Tim Melms and entered not guilty pleas to the four felony charges. Melms requested a preliminary hearing for his client, waiving the statutory time limits. O'Melia scheduled the matter for July 17 and set a $5,000 signature bond.
Manufacture or delivery of schedule I, II narcotics is a class E felony, with a maximum penalty of $50,000 in fines and 15 years in prison, while manufacture or delivery of schedule IV drugs is a class H felony carrying a maximum fine of $10,000 and six years in prison.
Jamie Taylor may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.