Alabama Doctor Indicted for Purchasing Black Market IUDs from Medical Device King
Dr. Yashica Robinson-White, 38 of Opelika, Alabama is being prosecuted based on her business dealings with a black market wholesaler running out of Great Neck, New York. Dr. Robinson-White is accused of committing health care fraud for purchasing non-FDA approved IUDs from Medical Device King and implanting them in patients as if they were FDA-approved IUDs.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reporting that an Alabama doctor, Dr. Yashica Robinson-White has been indicted on six counts of health-care fraud and introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Dr. Robinson-White is alleged to have purchased foreign-made IUDs from an illegally operated pharmaceutical wholesaler called Medical Device King.
According to the DOJ, Dr. Robinson-White is one of over 1,000 U.S. doctors who have been identified as doing business with black market wholesaler, Medical Device King. In June 2013, the FDA sent letters to these doctors, warning them that:
“Prescription drugs distributed by MDK [Medical Device King] may be counterfeit drugs (not manufactured or distributed by the company indicated on their label); and/or may be drugs from foreign or unknown sources that are not approved for distribution in the United States. These drugs may have unknown ingredients, or may not have been manufactured, transported or stored under proper conditions as required by U.S. law, regulations, and standards.”
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In April of this year, charges were filed against the owners of Medical Device King by the DOJ. Scully and Lameh, owners of Medical Device King face up to 20 years in prison and $17 million in fines for their alleged role in distributing counterfeit and black market medications and devices throughout the United States, reports the DOJ.
U.S. Attorney George L. Beck, Jr. explained that Robinson-White’s case came to light via an investigation conducted by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) subsequent to a search of the offices of Medical Device King in Great Neck, New York. U.S. Attorney Beck pointed out that “FDA-OCI identified more than 1,000 doctors and clinics across the country who had been receiving these misbranded drugs and products. We appreciate their close monitoring of drugs and medical devices being placed into commerce throughout the nation.”
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If convicted, Robinson-White faces 10 years and a $250,000 fine for each count of health care fraud, along with another year and a $100,000 fine for the count of drug misbranding, reports the DOJ. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bob Anderson, who serves as Health Care Fraud Coordinator for the District, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Denise Simpson.