Doctor arrested for selling prescriptions

Federal agents last week arrested Dr. Devi Reddy, 65, of Long Beach and charged him with illegally selling prescription drugs.

FBI agents, along with members of the multiagency Health Care Fraud Task force, arrested Reddy, who practices internal medicine, at his office, at 732 E. Park Ave., at about 8:45 a.m. on April 14. According to a federal court document the FBI sent to the Herald, Reddy knowingly distributed and dispensed controlled substances OxyContin and Percocet, not for legitimate medical purposes, from December 2008 to January 2010.

The document revealed that the investigation involved undercover FBI and New York City Police Department agents, as well as a non-law enforcement individual who agreed to work with authorities. On several occasions the agents wore audio and video recording devices while meeting Reddy in his office, when he provided them with proscriptions, usually 30 milligrams of the drugs in exchange for $100. During the meetings, Reddy neither performed medical examinations nor requested additional medical information, the document noted.

The document also stated that Reddy mailed prescriptions. On Dec. 21, 2009, an agent went to Reddy's office, and in addition to obtaining two prescriptions for $100 each, he paid Reddy $100 more to mail a future prescription to his address.

Reddy is also being charged with insurance fraud. On May 19, 2009, an agent provided Reddy with an insurance card, and a review of the billing information for the card showed that Reddy billed the insurance company for the office visit, according to the court document.

The Herald contacted Reddy at his office on Tuesday, but he declined to comment on the case.

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