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Investigative Press Release
Dec
06
2021

Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Prescribing Controlled Substances and Health Care Fraud

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Scranton physician, Kurt Moran, age 69, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to charges related to the unlawful distribution of controlled substances and engaging in a health care fraud scheme.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Moran pleaded guilty to the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance (Subsys), maintaining a drug-involved premises, and health care fraud. For purposes of his guilty plea, Moran further agreed that he knowingly and intentionally distributed oxycodone and fentanyl, Schedule II controlled substances, outside the usual course of professional practice and not for legitimate medical purposes, and that the death of “J.B.” resulted from the use of the substances.

As part the plea agreement entered in the case, the parties agreed to recommend that the Court impose a sentence of 144 months’ incarceration. Moran further agreed to a forfeiture order in the amount of $134,000.

The charges stem from an investigation initiated in 2016 by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) located in Scranton, the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Michael Consiglio are prosecuting the case.