Great Lakes Wire

Former Battle Creek physician Shekhar Thakur has agreed to pay $705,075 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan filed the suit on July 9, 2024, accusing Thakur of prescribing opioids and other controlled substances without legitimate medical purpose and outside standard professional practice.

The government alleged that Thakur, who previously owned Parkside Medical in Battle Creek, regularly prescribed Schedule II opioids and other drugs without verifying patients’ reported ailments through examinations or medical records. According to the complaint, he also issued prescriptions despite evidence that some patients were abusing or diverting drugs, such as failed urine drug screens indicating illicit drug use or non-compliance with prescribed medications. The lawsuit further claimed that Thakur prescribed dangerous combinations of controlled substances, including both opioids and benzodiazepines.

The complaint stated: “many patients sought out Thakur to feed their addictions to opioids or benzodiazepines. Some of Thakur’s patients shared their drugs with others or sold them on the street.”

Thakur did not admit responsibility for the conduct alleged in the settlement agreement. However, during 2022 and 2023 his licenses to practice medicine were revoked. In 2020, he voluntarily surrendered his DEA registration and lost his ability to prescribe controlled substances. As part of the settlement terms, Thakur agreed never to seek reinstatement of his DEA registration.

U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey commented: “When doctors prescribe drugs without a proper medical purpose, they are drug dealers. This settlement highlights my office’s commitment to hold medical professionals responsible when they cross that line.”

Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Detroit Field Division said: “Physicians who recklessly prescribe controlled substances endanger patients’ lives and erode communities. We will tirelessly investigate and hold accountable the people responsible for flooding Michigan with illegitimate drugs, to include doctors and healthcare professionals.”

The case was investigated by Assistant United States Attorneys Whitney M. Schnurr and Ryan D. Cobb along with Stacy Race from DEA’s Office of Chief Counsel. The resolution resulted from collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Court documents related to this case can be accessed under United States v. Thakur, 1-24-cv-00707 (W.D. Mich.).

The settlement resolves allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.