Clearwater doctor with $2M cash, gold bars, jewels – busted writing bogus scrips
On July 28, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office reported on the arrest of a local physician they’ve been investigating since May 11, ever since detectives from their Narcotics Division received information about fraudulent prescriptions being written and sold.
According to detectives, multiple sources identified 62-year-old Dr. Neelam Uppal as a potential source of writing the illegitimate prescriptions, specifically for Promethazine Codeine Syrup and Oxycodone. Detectives learned that since January 2022, Uppal sold more than 550 Promethazine Codeine Syrup prescriptions and hundreds of Oxycodone prescriptions. Detectives say Uppal has been preying on drug addicts for several years.
Throughout the course of the investigation, Uppal prescribed both Promethazine Codeine Syrup and Oxycodone to undercover detectives “without ever seeing, examining, or speaking to them. Detectives received the prescriptions after paying $650.00 cash for each Promethazine Codeine Syrup prescription and $450.00 cash for each Oxycodone prescription.”
Uppal is listed as an Infectious Disease Doctor and detectives say The Florida Department of Health shows Uppal to be on probationary status.
On July 26, detectives served a search warrant at Uppal’s residence and business. She primarily conducted business from her residence. While detectives were at Uppal’s home, two individuals arrived to obtain additional fraudulent prescriptions.
Detectives located the following items in the search:
- Multiple prescription pads
- Minimal patient records and documents
- Multiple handwritten ledgers
- Multiple prescriptions filled out with a variety of patients’ names
- $1,906,483.00 in US Currency
- Gold bars and jewelry valued at approximately $175,000
Uppal was charged with three counts of Trafficking in Codeine and three counts of Trafficking in Oxycodone. She was taken into custody and transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was also present and served Uppal with a civil injunction to revoke her ability to further prescribe medication.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division said that their agency will continue to pursue doctors who are preying on addicts and contribute to “doctor shopping,” adding that their investigation into Uppal’s activities are continuing.
(Source and Neelam Uppal mugshot: PCSO)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
