Doctor admits drug crimes

A former Norton physician has pleaded guilty to 14 charges involving drug fraud.

Dr. Raymond Michael Moore, 61, entered pleas Thursday in the U.S. district court in Abingdon, according to Western District U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring.

Moore pleaded guilty to illegally prescribing more than 25,000 oxycodone pills, more than 17,000 hydrocodone pills and more than 10,000 benzodiazepine pills; obtaining drugs by fraud; health care fraud; making a false statement to law enforcement; and failing to maintain required records.

According to evidence, Moore issued prescriptions for opioids and benzodiazepines without a legitimate medical purpose and beyond the bounds of medical practice. In addition, Moore originally told law enforcement that drugs found during execution of search warrants were returned from patients and were to be destroyed. He later admitted those drugs were for his personal use.

Pursuant to his plea agreement, Moore will pay more than $50,000 in restitution to Virginia Medicaid, will forfeit more than $100,000 and agreed to never again be a medical provider.

Moore will be sentenced March 26, 2020. He faces a potential sentence of up to 80 years in prison and a potential fine of up to $4.25 million.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the Virginia State Police and the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force. Assistance with the search warrants was provided by the police departments of Norton, Big Stone Gap, Bristol, Wise, Martinsville and Buena Vista, along with the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force.