Pill Mill Operator Didn’t Commit Wire Fraud

Evidence that the operator of a pain-management clinic lied to pharmaceutical distributors about who was to receive the drugs but paid full price for the goods was insufficient to sustain a conviction of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§1343 and 1346, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held April 24. (United States v. Sadler, 2014 BL 113932, 6th Cir., No. 12-4450)

What was missing was evidence that the defendant’s scheme deprived the distributors of “money,” “property” or “the intangible right of honest services,” the court said.

The government presented evidence that the ...