Wyoming Grand Jury Indicts Kahns, Beland; Doctor Could Face Life Imprisonment
Casper doctor Dr. Shakeel Kahn could face life imprisonment for running a prescription drug criminal enterprise, according to a 21-count indictment handed down by the Wyoming federal grand jury late Thursday.
The violations of drug laws, "were undertaken by Shakeel A. Kahn in concert with a least five other persons with respect to whom Shakeel A. Kahn occupied a position of organizer, supervisor or manager, and from which continuing series of violations the Defendant, Shakeel A. Kahn, obtained substantial income and resources," according to the indictment.
If convicted of the criminal enterprise count alone, Kahn faces between 20 years to life imprisonment, according to the indictment.
Kahn, who was arrested Nov. 30 and most recently appeared in court on Thursday for allegedly violating his bond, is named in 20 of the 21 counts of the indictment. Besides the criminal conspiracy count, he could receive a sentence of up to 280 years imprisonment if convicted on all the other charges.
His wife, Lyn, is charged with eight counts. If convicted on all counts, she could receive a sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment.
And former Wyoming resident and Kahn customer Paul Beland is charged with six counts. If convicted on all counts, Beland could receive a sentence of up to 20 years.
The Kahns and Beland each were initially charged in criminal complaints of one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
Besides the criminal enterprise count, the indictment alleges they committed conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam; dispensing of oxycodone; possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and aid and abet; unlawful use of a communication facility; dispensing of oxycodone and aid and abet; and engaging in monetary transactions derived from criminal activity.
The Kahns are scheduled to make their initial appearances and arraignments on the indictment in Casper before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Shickich on Tuesday.
They also are scheduled for a hearing to revoke their releases on bond on Thursday.
The case started in April when the Wyoming State Board of Pharmacy asked the DEA to investigate Kahn, who was issuing large prescriptions for controlled substances under two DEA licenses in Arizona and Wyoming. The Arizona and Wyoming boards of medicine subsequently suspended Kahn's medical licenses for prescribing controlled substances outside the standard of care.
From January 2011 to August 5, 2016, Kahn used his Arizona DEA registration to issue about 22,338 prescriptions for pills containing oxycodone and other Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances.
Beginning in October 2015, Kahn used his Wyoming DEA registration to issue about 1,617 similar prescriptions.
Kahn dealt with customers on a cash basis. They usually would pay him $500 for a prescription, and the indictment says customers would then resell the drugs.
Kahn required customers to sign a statement that said in part, "Dr. Shakeel Kahn is not now and has never been a drug dealer."
Customers were identified in Wyoming, Arizona, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington. Some customers including Beland would fly from their states to Casper to pick up prescriptions and fill them in area pharmacies.
Oxycodone, for example, is a powerful narcotic used in pain management. Depending on market conditions, the street value of oxycodone is about $1 per milligram. So a bottle of 300 30mg tablets could be worth $9,000.
If the Kahns and Beland are convicted of one or more of the counts, the indictment states they shall forfeit to the federal government any property they received from their criminal activity:
- A $3 million judgment in cash representing what they made from the drug transactions.
- About $140,000 in various bank accounts.
- A 2016 Chevrolet Corvette, a 2014 Ford Mustang and a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup.
- Two homes in Fort Mohave Ariz., and one property in Casper.
- $1,048,000 in cash.