SCRANTON, Pa. — A doctor from Lackawanna County has admitted to federal charges of distributing controlled substances and engaging in a health care fraud scheme.
Kurt Moran, 69, pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday.
He pleaded guilty to the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, maintaining drug-involved premises, and health care fraud. Moran admitted that he distributed oxycodone and fentanyl and that the death of an unnamed person resulted from the use of the substances.
Prosecutors said that between December 2014 through 2017, Moran conspired with others to receive bribes in exchange for prescribing powerful painkillers to his patients.
They believe that a company paid Moran approximately $140,000 over two years to prescribe the drugs to his patients. To conceal and disguise that kickbacks and bribes were being paid to Moran, the company falsely designated the payments to Moran as "honoraria" for purportedly providing educational presentations regarding the drugs.
As part of the plea agreement, both sides agreed to recommend a sentence of 144 months in prison. Moran also agreed to pay back $134,000.
Investigators raided Moran's offices in January of 2018. He initially pleaded not guilty in September of 2020.