The
pill mill brothers, Chris and Jeff George, were indicted in October of last year on
federal weapons charges. The two were indicted and
arrested along with several doctors working for them in their
pain clinics after amassing millions from their
pain clinics. The brothers were living a lavish lifestyle while the doctors they employed supplied
prescription pills to
drug traffickers and dealers pouring in from Kentucky, Ohio, and South Carolina.
Prescription Pill Trafficking and Weapons Charges
Now, Jeff George is facing
second-degree felony murder charges in the overdose death of Joey Bartolucci, who visited one of his
pain clinics in January of 2009. Chris and Jeff George finally faced the judge Wednesday morning after the prolonged federal and state crackdown on the George’s cash-only
pain clinics came to a close.
Jeff George defended himself by claiming that although they provide medication, they should not be held responsible if the user of that medication chooses to abuse it.
Attorney McAuliffe also charged the prescribing physician, Dr. Gerald Klein, with
first-degree murder. Klein allegedly gave Bartolucci prescriptions for 150 Dilauded pills, 30 Xanax, and 30 Nortriptyline pills.
Chris George’s Fort Lauderdale
defense lawyer argued that the brothers operated legitimate businesses staffed by licensed doctors, physicians who prescribed drugs within the confines of the law, according to the Palm Beach Post.
The George brothers are also being federally prosecuted under the
RICO act, the law created to crack down on Mafia related crime.
Criminal Defense
If you have been
charged with any two specific
crimes within ten years, you could be charged and prosecuted under the
RICO act. These
crimes are specified under the act as
robbery,
murder,
fraud,
grand theft, etc. A
criminal defense lawyer can be an ally to you through this process because only lawyers have a full grasp of the law and know what to look for while investigating your situation. Jeff George’s
defense lawyer is the only person keeping Jeff’s head above water at this time by taking on the responsibility of questions from reporters as well as court procedures.