Former Kentucky doctor gets prison time, $477,000 fine for improper prescribing
A longtime Southern Kentucky doctor who admitted improperly prescribing pain pills and other drugs has been sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison and fined $477,137.
Michael L. Cummings, 64, was a doctor in Albany for about 30 years before being suspended from practicing in May 2017, according to a court record.
Federal authorities began investigating Cummings after the county coroner noticed that several of the family physician’s patients had died of drug overdoses, according to a sentencing memorandum by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weiser.
When police secretly watched Cummings’ office, they noticed many patients seemed to be traveling long distances to see him.
One woman said she regularly drove to Albany from Indianapolis to see Cummings “because she knew he would prescribe the drugs she craved,” according to the memo.
Cummings was first indicted on charges that his prescribing practices resulted in several patients’ deaths. However, he pleaded guilty to improper prescribing charges that did not mention the deaths of any patients.
Cummings told federal authorities he started writing many more prescriptions for pain pills and other much-abused drugs because of pressure from his patients.
Prosecutors argued he stepped up his prescribing to improve the finances of his office as he prepared to sell the practice, but Cummings’ attorney said he was not motivated by greed or financial gain.
U.S. District Judge Greg N. Stivers sentenced Cummings July 24 in Bowling Green.
This story was originally published July 29, 2019 at 3:47 PM.
