BARTOW COUNTY, Ga.,None — Channel 2 Action News arrived at a Bartow County pain clinic Wednesday to find law enforcement had already raided the clinic in connection with an indictment against five people who are accused of operating an illegal pill mill.
Investigative reporter Mark Winne obtained the indictment charging a doctor and four other people with conspiracy to sell oxycodone pills at the Atlanta Medical Group Inc. in Cartersville.
Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap confirmed in recent months many drug abusers visited the pain clinic on Collins Drive for prescription pills, mostly for the highly addictive oxycodone.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Holfey said, This was really a ruse for selling as many pills as possible as we do allege in here to make as much money as possible.
A federal grand jury handed down the indictment alleging drug conspiracy and more charges for five defendants in connection with operating the pill mill.
There were a high number of patients and a lot of them were coming from out of state, and that was one of the facts in fact that tipped off law enforcement, said Holfey.
Nearby podiatrist Lance Barry said he is glad the authorities took action to stop the suspicious activity at the Atlanta Medical Group clinic.
When you see license plates that are hundreds of miles away to visit a family physician or a pain clinic, you know that that should be suspect, said Barry.
The indictment names defendants Jason Votrobek as principal owner, Jesse Violante as an individual with ownership interest, Roland Castellanos as the facility director, Tara Atkins as office manager, and Dr. James Chapman as the doctor who would prescribe the oxycodone.
Holfey said, Chapman was the primary doctor at the clinic. [He] would see what we contend to be an excessively high number of patients per day, more than a normal doctor could really properly treat.
This investigation was a collaboration among various law enforcement agencies including the FBI, DEA, GBI, and the Bartow County Sheriffs Office.
The indictment alleges that ultimately there were millions of dollars in play with this clinic that had been in operation for only a little over a year, said Holfey.
According to our latest check, at least three of the defendants are in custody, not including facility director Castellanos, according to his lawyer.
Castellanos attorney Lawrence Zimmerman said via phone that his client is not guilty of this crime and this indictment is not true. Zimmerman said Castellanos will turn himself in within the next 12 hours and plans on fighting the charges.
The defendant Roland Castellanos is not to be confused with the Cobb County State Court judge by the same name who is running for Superior Court judge.
Court hearings in this case will be held in Rome on Thursday.