Jefferson County doctor, staff indicted on fraud, illegally prescribing controlled substances

ST. LOUIS — A doctor, his partner and a front desk receptionist have been indicted in U.S. District Court on charges of health care fraud and illegally prescribing controlled substances.

Accusations include prescriptions for controlled substances being illegally pre-signed, the doctors signature being forged for some prescriptions, and drugs that can be dangerously addictive being prescribed to patients with no medical need for them.

The alleged goal of the conspiracy was to create higher profit margins by billing insurance companies for prescriptions given for “no legitimate medical purpose,” from at least July 2016 thru to December 2021, the indictment states.

Dr. David A. Parks, 66, was rarely present at his clinic in the Central West End, where patients regularly received controlled substance prescriptions — including hydrocodone, oxycodone and dextroamphetamine-amphetamine salts — from employees not authorized to prescribe drugs, according to the indictment filed Monday.

Parks' attorney, Talmage R. Newton IV, said Parks "also sought to improve the quality of (patients) lives, including through pain management, which sometimes necessitated prescribing controlled substances. Dr. Parks and his husband Jim intend to defend themselves against these allegations."

Front desk receptionist Michelle J. Scheer, 43, was also indicted and neither she nor her attorney commented on the indictment Monday.

Insurance companies were billed for Parks’ services on dates that Parks was not in the state, as well as times he was out of the country.

When Parks and his employee and partner, James M. Bilderback, 58, were out of town, employees were told that “NO ONE (including other Dr. offices OR pharmacies) is to be told (Parks) is out of town,” according to the indictment. Patients continued to receive prescription renewals through pre-printed, pre-signed prescriptions.

Bilderback would also forge Parks’ signature on controlled substance prescriptions for patients that Parks hadn’t ever seen, according to the indictment.

Scheer facilitated the prescription of controlled substances while Parks was away, and changed the dosages, quantities and types of controlled substances being prescribed, the indictment states.

Parks, Bilderback and Scheer would give concurrent prescriptions for “the holy trinity” — opioids, benzodiazepines and stimulants that when used in combination increase the euphoric effects of the drugs and the potential for causing respiratory and cardiac problems leading to overdose, according to the indictment.

Parks and Bilderback would instruct employees not to issue drug tests to patients, to avoid detecting signs of drug abuse, the indictment says.

All three defendants have been indicted with five counts of illegal prescribing of a controlled substance, along with one count of conspiracy to illegally prescribe controlled substances.

Parks and Bilderback have been indicted with an additional count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, eight counts of illegal prescribing of controlled substances, and 15 counts of making false statements related to health care matters, according to court records.

Parks and Bilderback are from Jefferson County. Scheer is from St. Louis.

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