The former CEO of a North Georgia hospital and two doctors have been indicted on federal charges of illegally prescribing thousands of doses of pain medications, officials said Friday.
John Michael Gowder, Dr. David Gowder and Dr. James Heaton are expected to appear in federal court in Gainesville on Monday for arraignment.
“These defendants allegedly abused their positions as medical professionals to obtain illegitimately thousands of doses of prescription pain medications and now face serious federal charges,” U.S. Attorney BJay Pak said.
Mike Gowder, ex-CEO of Union General Hospital in Blairsville, and David Gowder, the hospital’s former emergency room director, conspired to illegally obtain oxycodone, hydrocodone and alprazolam, officials said.
David Gowder allegedly unlawfully obtained those medications from patients he treated at the hospital. He also is accused of illegally issuing prescriptions for oxycodone, hydrocodone and alprazolam in the names of his and Mike Gowder’s family members, existing hospital patients and fictitious patients.
David Gowder would direct hospital employees to fill the prescriptions at local pharmacies, according to officials. He would provide cash to the employees to pay for the drugs and would tell them to return the drugs they obtained to him.
Heaton is charged with illegally prescribing oxycodone and other controlled substances to Mike Gowder, Mike Gowder's family members and others.
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