Dr. Spiro Y. Kassis, 66, of Plymouth Township, PA was sentenced to 48 months’ incarceration, two years’ supervised release and a $25,000 fine after pleading guilty to 14 counts of distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Separately, in a related civil case which reached settlement in November 2019, the defendant agreed to pay $1.4 million to resolve similar allegations. The defendant, who represented himself as a specialist in psychiatry and addiction medicine, operated medical offices in East Norriton Township, PA and Scranton, PA. He used those offices to operate a “prescription pill mill” whereby he sold medically unnecessary prescriptions for opioid drugs such as oxycodone and burprenorphine, as well as other controlled substances. Kassis sold prescriptions for dangerous and addictive drugs for approximately $200 cash. At the East Norriton office, Kassis saw approximately 45 patients per day, who lined up outside a back room where Kassis sat behind a desk. As each patient filed in, Kassis collected $200 cash, counted the money and placed it in a safe — and then issued the requested prescriptions electronically to the patient’s pharmacy. Often, the defendant issued dangerous cocktails that included oxycodone, methadone, and buprenorphine, all to the same patient.
