Doctor Found Guilty of Illegal Opioid Distribution

Friday, May 3, 2019 | 0

A six-day trial resulted in a guilty verdict for a West Virginia doctor accused of illegally distributing opioids to injured workers and other patients in the Appalachia region.

George Naum, of Wheeling, was convicted Tuesday on conspiracy to distribute, and aiding and abetting the distribution of controlled substances, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

The investigation into Naum and another doctor involved the help of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, the FBI and local police. The two physicians and a business partner were accused of conspiring to distribute the drugs at a drug treatment center, Advance Healthcare Inc., in Weirton, from 2008 to 2016.

“Successful prosecutions like this one are complex, time consuming, and require great effort by talented prosecutors and law enforcement agents,” U.S. Attorney Bill Powell said in a statement.

Naum faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of as much as $250,000 for each count.