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Audiotapes reveal Huff giving drugs to undercover officer
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Friday, June 19, 2009 10:05 AM EDT
CORUNNA - Dr. David Huff's preliminary exam Tuesday in 66th District Court on multiple felony counts of health care fraud and unlawfully prescribing medication was adjourned and will not be completed until mid-July.
Prosecutors and police began outlining their three-count case against Huff, 52, who practices in Elsie and Owosso, before Judge Terrance Dignan Tuesday adjourned the exam late in the afternoon. The case will be back before Dignan July 14.
Three witnesses took the stand against the doctor who is one of five physicians charged with similar felonies after a year-and-a-half long investigation by the Mid-Michigan Area Group Narcotics Enforcement Team.
MAGNET commander Det. Lt. Robyn Lynde, who went undercover to investigate Huff, nurse Janet Sherrard, a volunteer at Huff's clinic and pharmacologist Dr. John Thornburg, of Michigan State University, all took the stand Tuesday.
Lynde testified she began to look into Huff in 2007 after receiving tips that drug addicts were going to his free medical clinic at Owosso's Redeemer Lutheran Church to get narcotics.
Lynde, using the alias of Rachael Shepard, began seeing Huff at the free clinic with the help of one of the group's informants, Mike Miller- a patient of Huff's and previous drug addict. The team used Miller to gain the trust of the doctor.
“(Miller's) job at the free clinic was to tell Huff whether someone was trustworthy or not,” Lynde said. “His presence definitely allowed Huff to be more open with me and give me narcotics.”
Lynde went to see Huff at the free clinic on five separate occasions to acquire narcotics. She said she told the physician she was an addict, but on three occasions she said she still was prescribed brands of dihydrocodeinone - the most well-known being Vicodin. Lynde also said she received Vicodin from the doctor without a prescription after an Aug. 16, 2007, church service at Redeemer Lutheran.
Audio files, which contained recordings of Lynde's encounters, were played on a laptop computer for Dignan to hear.
In the recordings, Huff made statements about trying to get Lynde into rehab.
Lynde said Huff suggested going to rehab to her every time she went to him for narcotics. In a recording made following the 2007 church service, Huff alluded to the fact that in the past he also tried to prescribe narcotics to addicts as a way to get them into rehab and/or church.
“I tried to help people for a year and it did not work at all. I realized all it did was foster more dependency on it,” Huff said in the recording. “What I underestimated was how seductive the drugs were.”
Sherrard testified she volunteered at the free medical clinic with Huff since it started more than five years ago.
During questioning from Shiawassee County Prosecutor Randy Colbry, Sherrard said about a year-and-a-half ago she heard from a friend it was common knowledge a person could go to Huff's free clinic and get narcotics.
“I shared that with (Huff) and it was very distressing to all of us,” Sherrard said. “The pastor, him and I had prayed together about what we should do, how we should continue or if we should continue. This wasn't what we were about; we were about trying to help people, not hurt them.”
After she brought this to Huff's attention, the free clinic changed its policy and no longer gave narcotics to patients - unless there was verification from a patient's primary physician or hospital records to support the need. A sign was put on the entrance informing patients of that fact. She added the number of patients dropped after the sign was put up.
Lynde said when she went back to Huff Feb. 7, 2009 - after the sign was put up - he would no longer give her any narcotics.
Thornburg, who was brought in as an expert in pharmacology, testified about narcotics, including reasons for giving a prescription, withdrawal symptoms and other facts.
Defense attorney Lawrence Emery of Lansing said everything Huff did at the free clinic was to help others, and that Huff never personally benefited by prescribing narcotics to his patients.
“If a physician does these things in good faith, is he in a different category than a physician who does it for monetary gain?” Emery said.
“I may be somewhat sympathetic. But if it is wrong, it is wrong,” Thornburg replied.
Comment on this Story
Grieving Mom wrote on Jul 11, 2009 9:57 AM:
I did call Dr. Parks office and told the receptionish to RED FLAG my son's file as he was getting monthly scripts of Vicoden and was addicted. She told me ...MY SON...was an adult and they coud not do that! Did you know it only takes about 5 Vicoden to get someone on the path to addiction? My son had back trouble and that was Dr. Park's answer to everything...PAIN PILLS. I went to him for years before he misdiagnosed me. All he wanted to do was push pills. How come all the kids in Owosso knew where they could get scripts and the town seems so ignorant of this fact? I am glad he finally got caught. There are some good doctors out there...but those that pass out drugs like candy are guilty of will repetition of precarious substandard practices that constitue "reckless endangerment". "
nichole wrote on Jul 9, 2009 7:22 AM:
I am sorry you lost your child. I am sorry that he had pain that he felt needed to mask with narcotics. You must realize that your son must be held accountable for his addiction.
Are we going to start charging bar tenders for serving alcohol to drunks? Can we prosecute them too if the drunk causes an accident? Good luck with that one.. "
Grieving Mom wrote on Jul 8, 2009 11:39 AM:
Nichole wrote on Jun 27, 2009 9:07 AM:
Again, most of you have been affected by drug abuse and blame the docs. These addicts will find it. No matter where they get it.
BTW, an alcoholic that is going through DT's will be hospitalized and given meds like Ativan, Haldol, Xanax among others to assist with it. An alcoholic that decides to quit on their own would properly do it by slowly decreasing their intake just like a narcotic. The only difference is that you can buy alcohol in a store without a script. Some of you are ignorant on the subject.
Dont assume that supporters are drug abusers. I am not. I lost my father to drugs when I was a ittle girl. I do not condone drug use. I do condone treatment no matter which way the addict pursues it. As long as the addict is admitting to the issue and seeking help that is the first step. Some dont want help and end up dying and shattering the lives around them. "
Grieving Mom wrote on Jun 24, 2009 9:26 PM:
ANON. wrote on Jun 23, 2009 6:24 PM:
shiataxpayer wrote on Jun 22, 2009 10:39 PM:
Would one give a professed alcoholic more alcohol to cause them to go to rehab?
I just do not follow the logical reasoning in the decision.
???? "
Anne wrote on Jun 22, 2009 9:16 AM:
I am somewhat surprised at the lengths a few of the public will go to to try to justify these doctors' behavior... I must wonder, would you all do so if it were your son or daughter who was the addict? "
Nichole wrote on Jun 22, 2009 8:39 AM:
Get off your horse and educate yourseld on drug dependence and te dangers of withdrawal. "
Nichole wrote on Jun 20, 2009 3:55 PM:
Sudden death, seizures, hypertension, hypotension and other possibly fatal side effects from going cold turkey.
As a Doctor, he has a medical obligation to try and assist a drug addict with the dependence of heavy narcotic use.
Those who live in glass houses shouldn't cast stones.
Christian or not. This is an attack on the medical profession.
Did you hear that one of the ADA's siblings died from an OD? Now do you think that this could be a witch hunt since the ADA couldn't save the sibling from drug addiction. Every one is affected by this.
Grow up and get your facts straight.. "
WOW wrote on Jun 20, 2009 8:20 AM:
Sunny wrote on Jun 20, 2009 8:09 AM:
Fred wrote on Jun 19, 2009 4:16 PM:
concerned patient wrote on Jun 19, 2009 11:40 AM:
The Church wrote on Jun 19, 2009 10:49 AM:
Blessed be. In the name of Jesus. Amen Brother.
PS - see you in church on Sunday? I need a refill. HAHAHAHA "
POSI wrote on Jun 18, 2009 10:44 PM:
howard wrote on Jun 18, 2009 8:37 PM:
Anne wrote on Jun 18, 2009 6:22 PM:
“I tried to help people for a year and it did not work at all. I realized all it did was foster more dependency on it,” Huff said in the recording. “What I underestimated was how seductive the drugs were.”
... and why doctors not trained to treat addicts can't do so. Ignorance is no defense in law, neither are good intentions. Falsifying records to give an addict more drugs does not help them, it enables them. He seems to have later understood this... does it change the fact that a law was broken? No, it does not.
His own lawyer said it best "If a physician does these things in good faith, is he in a different category than a physician who does it for monetary gain?" His only mistake was in thinking the answer to this was yes, in the laws' eye it is no... "
Owosso Resident wrote on Jun 18, 2009 2:54 PM:
I don't think he had the intentions some of the others might have, but in the eyes of the law, it was wrong. People make mistakes and he made one.
It's great that people support him, but people cannot get mad at every media outlet who posts stories of these doctors and what they have done. It is now up to the courts to decide if there is enough evidence against them and what price they should pay for breaking the law if they are found guilty.
I'm not looking to start anything with this post, but I continually see people outraged at the Argus, the police and MAGNET and I just don't understand it. If they were doing things illegal or unethical, then it needed to be dealt with. We need ethical doctors in our town, not ones that help those who should be getting themselves clean. Again...I have no problem with Dr. Huff, but when you break the law, you break the law. "
jstant01 wrote on Jun 18, 2009 11:30 AM:
I hope the defense attorney addresses these issues, in addition to intent. Obviously, there was no malicious intent involved here - even the MAGNET officer admitted that. "
Meredith wrote on Jun 18, 2009 11:29 AM:
Anne wrote on Jun 18, 2009 8:27 AM:
Alas, while he seems to have done it with the best of intentions, to have done it at all pretty much proves they were justified in arresting him also. His own admission of making a mistake (while he later tried to correct it) means he should not have been treating addicts in the first place. There is a reason for re-hab centers. While I hope his kindness is taken into account and he doesn't do prison time if convicted, his ignorance must be taken into account also. Falsifiying records to enable addicts, putting drugs on the street must be punished.
Considering how many of these doctors were caught doing this in this sting, we apparently have one of the most ignorant groups of doctors in the country here in our community. Which saddens me. "
Gary wrote on Jun 18, 2009 8:08 AM:
jerry m wrote on Jun 18, 2009 7:43 AM:
Natasha Redmond wrote on Jun 17, 2009 11:18 PM:
JayB wrote on Jun 17, 2009 9:55 PM:
NancyB wrote on Jun 17, 2009 6:56 PM:
Buprenorphine (Suboxone) is a medication when combined with therapy treats the medical condition of opioid addiction in the privacy of a doctor's office. FDA approved in 2002, this treatment has improved quality of life for patients and provided dignity to opiate addiction treatment.
The naabt.org Patient/Physician Matching System has connected 22,275 patients with at least one of the 2,518 participating physicians.
This confidential system TreatmentMatch.org helps connect people to doctors providing buprenorphine treatment. The free 24/7 service lets patients reach out for help anytime with privacy.
Patient registration is fast. A short list of questions helps match patients to physicians. All information is confidential residing on a secure server. Once the application is done, emails are sent to physicians. The System then allows the physician to contact patients confidentially by email.
For information visit www.naabt.org "
Jane presley wrote on Jun 17, 2009 6:41 PM:
Brittany wrote on Jun 17, 2009 5:16 PM:
George wrote on Jun 17, 2009 4:43 PM:
In our prayers... "
Nichole wrote on Jun 17, 2009 2:24 PM:
As for Mike Miller, he sits in fedral prison on drug charges amongst other issues. He willingly set HUFF up for a reduced sentence. The only reason he is not a drug abuser is due to where he now resides.
For the truth on yesterdays hearing please visit our face book group. search Innocent until proven guilty Dr David Huff
The truth will be published by tonight. We won't censor what was said in court "
ann. wrote on Jul 20, 2009 5:43 PM:
Doctors are the people we trust with our lives and who we trust our families lives with. Please stop defending someone who has caused harm on others and who the law has uncovered as a doctor who is giving narcotics to people at a clinic who shouldn't have them and giving it to them after a church service. All these posts and facebook pages are causing nothing but negative attention to this man.
Please use common sense. If he didn't go to your church or he wasn't a "christian", you wouldn't care at all about him.
Let the law take care of the case. Stop posting signs and blogs about his topic. You make yourself look foolish. You make our small community look foolish. "