MOUNT CARMEL -- A doctor is under arrest in Northumberland County.
DEA agents took Dr. Raymond Kraynak into custody Thursday at his office in Mount Carmel.
Agents with the U.S. Attorney's office raided his practice in March of 2016. Back then, they removed paperwork from his office and from a nearby pharmacy.
The U.S. Attorney for this part of Pennsylvania referred to Dr. Raymond Kraynak's office as a "pill mill."
Between January 2016 and July 2017, Kraynak was Pennsylvania's top prescriber of oxycodone, oxycontin, and fentanyl, making those drugs available to almost 3,000 patients.
Kraynak was led from his office in handcuffs Thursday morning. He was arrested by DEA agents.
According to the United States Attorney, Kraynak has prescribed the most controlled substances out of any doctor in Pennsylvania.
Federal agents believe Kraynak's improper dispensing of pills resulted in the deaths of five of his patients.
There was a steady stream of patients outside Kraynak's office. Some were there for appointments, all were shocked.
But other people, who did not want to go on camera disagreed. One man told Newswatch 16 Kraynak is known around Mount Carmel as "the candy man." A former patient says an area pharmacy wouldn't fill his Kraynak prescriptions because the doctor prescribed so many opioids.
Patients wonder where all of this leaves them. they still need their medications.
"How would they like it, by them doing that to him, if some of their patients just died because they couldn't get their medications?" asked Theresa Shields.
To those patients, the United States Attorney's response is, find a doctor who properly cares for you. As for Dr. Raymond Kraynak, he is currently in jail and has a hearing on Friday.
