Two more doctors in northeastern Oklahoma have entered into settlement agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for allegedly accepting illegal kickback payments from OK Compounding, LLC, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. These civil settlements resulted from an investigation into numerous health care providers writing prescriptions for pain creams compounded and sold by OK Compounding in return for payments.

In one recent settlement, Dr. Mary Johnson, 44, a podiatrist practicing in Claremore, agreed to pay the government more than $76,000 for allegedly accepting illegal kickback payments from OK Compounding in 2013. In a separate settlement, Dr. Jeff Halsell, 50, a doctor of osteopathic medicine practicing in Tulsa, agreed to pay the government more than $52,000 for allegedly accepting illegal kickback payments from the pharmacy from January to July of 2013.

The settlement agreements resolve allegations that Johnson and Halsell 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.