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Pill mill doctor sent to prison

Dr. Han Yang, 69, gets 3-year term, as well as financial penalties.

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By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer 10:19 PM Tuesday, January 31, 2012

SPRINGFIELD — A former family physician was sentenced to three years in prison for operating two pill mills out of his offices.

Dr. Han Yang, 69, was accused of writing prescriptions for undercover officers and confidential informants working with the Montgomery and Clark County sheriff’s offices.

At the sentencing Tuesday, Clark County Common Pleas Judge Richard O’Neill said he ordered a prison term because of Yang’s position as a doctor. Yang faced up to eight years for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a second-degree felony, and community control for other charges.

“The defendant held a position of trust in the community,” O’Neill said.

Yang apologized before being led away in handcuffs.

“I hurt my family, my profession. That’s all I can say,” Yang said.

His offices were raided in October. On Jan. 5, he pleaded guilty to the corrupt-activities charge as well as five counts of drug trafficking, fourth-degree felonies; one count of fifth-degree drug trafficking for writing the prescriptions; and a fourth-degree felony charge of theft for fraudulently billing Medicaid.

Yang’s wife and a co-worker who did not give his name, but said he did acupuncture at Yang’s office, said they did not know what was going on at his practice.

Clark County Prosecutor Andy Wilson said Yang started writing fraudulent prescriptions in the last few years.

Yang saw about 30 patients an hour — the same number most physicians see in a day. He charged $50 to $250 per prescription, paid for in cash, Wilson said.

Prosecutors don’t plan to charge patients, but Yang agreed to assist prosecutors in their investigation. Wilson said former employees could also face charges.

This case sets a precedent that doctors who write false prescriptions will face jail time, said Aaron Haslam, senior assistant attorney for the Ohio Attorney General’s office.

“If you’re going to use your medical license to traffic drugs, we’re going to be there. We’re going to investigate, we’re going to prosecute you and we’re going to take your license,” Haslam said. “And now, we’re going to put you in prison.”

In addition to prison time, Yang must pay $17, 660.75 in restitution to the Ohio Attorney General’s Medicare and Medicaid fraud unit. He must surrender $17,820.07 in cash and from a PNC bank account in addition to the balance of other accounts and checks.

Wilson said the seizure will be divided among the agencies that performed the investigation.

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