A Louisiana physician assistant entered into settlement agreement this week with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for allegedly accepting illegal payments from OK Compounding, LLC, in return for recommending and prescribing compounded drugs produced by the pharmacy, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

Stephen Ryan Honeycutt, 44, agreed to pay the government $620,508.36 for allegedly accepting the illegal kickback payments from Jan. 8 through June 10, 2013, while practicing at Bone & Joint Clinic in Marrero, Louisiana. The settlement agreement resolves allegations that Honeycutt had illegal financial relationships with OK Compounding concerning pain creams.

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marianne Hardcastle with the Affirmative Civil Enforcement unit and is the product of the collaborative investigative efforts of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor–Office of Inspector General (OIG), IRS–Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Service–OIG, FBI, Department of Veterans Affairs–OIG and the Department of Health and Human Services–OIG.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.