Doctor Charged in Three Deaths
Recently a Florida federal grand jury charged a Tampa Bay area pain management doctor in the death of three different people. Dr. Edward Feldman is being charged with dispensing drugs to the individuals and that due to the dispensing of those drugs, those individuals died. He also is facing charges relating to money laundering, drug conspiracy, and financial crimes. If Dr. Feldman is convicted of these charges, he could face up to life in prison for the deaths. The Dr.’s wife, Kim Feldman, was also named on the indictment of her husband and is facing five counts of similar charges of money laundering, drug conspiracy, and other illegal financial crimes. While Kim Feldman is being held as being involved in the deaths, Dr. Feldman is the only one charged with the actual deaths.
Background of the Case
The three deaths of the victims occurred between 2010 and 2011. The deceased are identified only by their initials in the court documents, but it was later determined that two of the victims are Ricky Gonzalez of Clearwater and Joey Mayes of Pinellas Park. The government alleges that during that time frame Dr. Feldman had prescribed each of his patients two or more drugs, including methadone, oxycodone, Valium, and Xanax, all drugs that his patients did not actual lead. These prescriptions eventually lead to these patient’s untimely deaths.
Investigation and Charges
Dr. Feldman and his wife were indicted in December of 2014, but were not actually arrested on January 6, 2015. The couple is currently out of jail on bond. Dr. Feldman is out after he signed a $100,000 signature bond and his wife is currently out after signing a $75,000 signature bond. Both were required to wear monitoring devices and surrender passports. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Shauna Hale first appeared in the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Hale asked Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli to keep the couple in custody stating that there were concerns that they might flee due to their assets and the seriousness of the case. Hale reported that investigators had found evidence of $6 million in cash transactions since 2009 and at this time, only a fraction of the money had been located. It was further concerning when it was discovered that Kim Feldman has a Canadian passport and children who live in Canada.
The government states that if the couple is convicted of the charges against them, the government plans on seizing their $1 million home that is located in the Ballast Point neighborhood in Tampa, the three bank accounts and the two investment accounts that the couples have, as well as the doctor’s office, Feldman Orthopedic & Wellness Center that is located in Pinellas Park.
Many different agencies were involved with the investigation and arrests in this case, however, the Drug Enforcement Administration apparently was the team that led the investigation. Apparently, however, the Feldman’s pain clinic has been on the local authorities radar for quite a while. According to a sergeant with the Pinellas Park Police Department, the Feldman Orthopedic & Wellness Center had drawn the attention of the local enforcement agencies when it was noticed that there were a large number of out-of-state license plates that were seen in the parking lot of their office. Dr. Feldman also was previously involved with authorities when in 2002 he was charged with involvement of an alleged teen sex-for-hire ring, the charge later being dropped. He also has a 2004 conviction in federal court for accepting kickbacks from an MRI clinic.
Contact a Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
Every day people trust medical professionals and expect them to deliver the highest level of treatment and expertise when handling their case. Unfortunately, many times this is not the case. If you or someone you know has been a victim of medical malpractice, whether it was intentional or not, you should reach out to an experienced attorney. Contact the Fort Lauderdale attorneys at Boone & Davis today and let us fight for you.
