75 Year Old Doctor convicted

According to the feds..."A Dallas physician has been convicted of conspiracy to sell illegal prescriptions in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today. 

Habiboola Niamatali, 75, of Dallas, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to distribute Hydrocodone, Alprazolam, and Promethazine with Codeine outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.  The jury reached its verdict following a weeklong trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.

According to information presented in court, Niamatali used his medical clinics in Garland and Lancaster to sell illegal prescriptions for cash.  The defendant attempted to cover up his scheme by ordering his staff to falsify medical records.  Niamatali was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 10, 2013.

Niamatali was immediately taken into custody following the jury’s verdict.  Under federal statutes, Niamatali faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress and is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. "

According to Dallasnews.com,"According to the affidavit, officials went undercover as patients at Niamatali’s clinics between November and April. During their visits, they received “prescriptions for controlled substances without demonstrating medical need.”

In an interview, Niamatali said he noticed that many of his patients were increasingly demanding “nasty drugs.” Many patients claim to have back pain, anxiety or coughing to obtain controlled substances, he said.

To combat their drug dependence, Niamatali said he eventually began to “divert” patients to other medicines that didn’t have a “street price.”

Court documents note that Niamatali opened his clinic in the morning and reopened at night until about 11:30 p.m. Investigators also observed lines forming outside the clinic before opening time at 9 a.m.

According to the affidavit, on Nov. 12 an investigator overheard someone in the line talking on the phone about selling “60 each for $75.” The person later told the investigator that Niamatali was “the biggest quack in the world” and “all you have to do is tell him what you want and he will give it to you.”

Questioned about allegations that he prescribed medications without examining patients, Niamatali said he does examine most of his patients but doesn’t always do so for his regular clients.

“You cannot examine them because you know their problem,” he said. “To a great extent, you get a feel for what you’re dealing with.”

Authorities eventually arrested several of Niamatali’s patients, including 51-year-old Howard Hampton. Investigators say that in December, Hampton sold 90 Vicodin and Xanax pills to an undercover officer for more than $150."

In my opinion,the doctor, originally from Guyana, is 75 years old. He is too old to sit in a jail. If anything, take away his license and force his retirement. To see what jail is about, go here...https://www.amazon.com/PRISON-expect-Federal-Bureau-Prisons-ebook/dp/B011GTWLOG