Pain Clinic Doctor Charged With Unlawful Opioid Distribution

WESTCHASE, FL — A pain management clinic doctor and a staff member have been charged with unlawfully prescribing opioids to patients after being indicted by a grand jury last week.

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg said an indictment has been handed down charging Dr. Qing McGaha, 55, of Tampa with conspiracy to commit unlawful distribution of controlled substances, unlawful distribution of controlled substances for no legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice, and using the proceeds of crimes to purchase property.

The indictment also charges employee Camille Mohammed, 52, of Tampa with conspiracy to commit unlawful distribution of controlled substances.

If convicted of the drug conspiracy count, McGaha and Mohammed each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

McGaha also faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each unlawful distribution count (15 counts) and 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count (four counts).

The indictment also notified McGaha that the United States intends to seize $774,216.12 in cash, $170,482.34 from bank accounts and two properties in the Tampa Bay area that investigators say can be traced to proceeds of the crime.

According to the indictment, McGaha was a Florida-licensed medical doctor who owned and operated MD Care Clinic, a pain management clinic at 7830 Gunn Highway in Citrus Park.

Mohammed served as the clinic’s receptionist and scheduled patient appointments, collected patient fees and recorded vital measurements.

The indictment claims Mohammed also falsified urine screen results, managed the overcrowded waiting room and parking lot, and fielded calls from pharmacists concerned about McGaha’s controlled substance prescriptions.

Over a 20-month period, undercover agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration scheduled a number of appointments with McGaha. At each appointment, agents received a prescription for hydrocodone, hydromorphone or oxycodone without a legitimate reason.

Investigators documented 15 times between Feb. 20, 2019, and Oct. 5, 2020, in which undercover agents who had no medical need received prescriptions for these highly regulated, addictive opioids.

Investigators said McGaha used $249,131 from these illegal prescriptions to purchase property at Hidden Oaks Professional Center, 1700 McMullen Booth Road, Unit C4, in Clearwater. She also deposited $100,000 into her bank accounts.

Property and money the U.S. Attorney's Office intends to seize if McGaha is found guilty include:

• $774,216.12 seized from her home at 11936 Mandevilla Court, Tampa, Jan. 27, 2021.
• $78,411.33 seized from a Fifth Third Bank account.
• $92,071.01 seized from a Wells Fargo bank account.
• The Hidden Oaks Professional Center property.
• Her four-bedroom, 3 1/2-bathroom home in the Waterchase community of Westchase, 11936 Mandevilla Court, Tampa, valued at $774,600.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration—Tampa District Office and by the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office, which focuses on opioid-related fraud and abuse by medical and health care professionals who have contributed to the prescription opioid epidemic.

The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.