US jury indicts Indian-origin doc for peddling prescription drugs

A doctor of Indian origin practising in the US has been indicted by a federal grand jury for operating an illegal prescription drug 'mill'.

Nibedita Mohanty, 56, a former chief of medicine at Stafford Hospital, was indicted on 45 counts in a New York court.

She is accused of causing the death of one patient and seriously damaging the health of others.

The charges against Mohanty include distribution of controlled substances, aiding and abetting healthcare fraud, and money laundering.

Investigators say she sold a wide range of prescription drugs to more than 100 people. One of those patients died.

Following her arrest, Mohanty posted bond and also sold her home on the river.

Nibedita, the mother of two daughters, had a private practice in New York State.

Prosecutors say she prescribed drugs like oxycodone and morphine, often in excessive doses, for cash to patients who didn't need them.

She was indicted by a federal grand jury on 45 counts on Thursday, which include distributing and dispensing a controlled substance resulting in the death of a patient along with drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

According to the indictment, Mohanty collected payments from them using the money to maintain a large home on the Potomac River with a swimming pool in the backyard. She allegedly paid $32,000 cash for the pool in various denominations stuffed in envelopes.

If convicted, Mohanty faces a minimum sentence of 20 years with a $10 million fine. Her medical license has been suspended.