(WXYZ) — A doctor who was stripped of his license is facing nearly three dozen criminal charges for allegedly prescribing drugs illegally for several years.
I was in a Taylor courtroom this afternoon as he posted bond and also talked to the detective who says this case is directly tied to the opioid epidemic.
Appearing in court for the first time for his arraignment on 35 criminal counts, Dr. Ram Garg stood alongside prominent criminal defense attorney Anjali Prasad.
Related Video: Watch arraignment of local doctor in the player below
Judge Joseph Slaven addressed Dr. Garg after police say he spent years illegally prescribing drugs to hundreds of patients as part of a “pill mill” operation.
"We’ll waive a formal reading and plead not guilty, my client was arrested and released several weeks ago, has been a citizen since the 90s and is interested in seeing the case through," said Prasad.
Taylor police say they worked closely with Michigan State Police and the Michigan Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs to unravel the illegal trafficking of pills in Michigan and Ohio, and spoke with numerous patients who knew something was wrong.
The 78-year-old issued a $100,000 personal bond with no ability to leave the state or prescribe meds after surrendering his medical license.
Related Video: Police raid Taylor clinic, West Bloomfield mansion in alleged illegal pill mill operation
Police also say taxpayers who foot the bill for Medicare also suffer from this type of crime.
Outside of court, I asked the lead detective on the case about the impact of the alleged fraud that led to raids at the doctor’s office in Taylor and home in Bloomfield Hills.
“There’s so many that have reached out. They want to provide information about encounters with this doctor they feel were out of the realm of how it should have been when you went to your doctor," said Det. Phil Wengrowski with Taylor police.
Police say drugs often prescribed illegally by Dr. Garg include oxycodone, hydrocortisone and norco.
They also tell me the doctor made admissions to them after his arrest and broke down during questioning.
“We often report on the opioid epidemic. How does this tie in?" I asked the detective.
"This is where it starts. This is where it gets into the streets, they get prescriptions “legally” from the doctor and turn around and sell those on the street," said Det. Wengrowski.
Dr. Garg’s attorney declined to talk on camera, but says her client has been eager to resolve the case since his arrest in late September.
He will appear for his next court hearings on November 13 and November 18.
