DEA raids Tucker clinic for 2nd time in 2 weeks - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

DEA raids Tucker clinic for 2nd time in 2 weeks

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Officers arrested a doctor from Southern Health Management Clinic on Northlake Parkway in Tucker on Tuesday, July 3, 2012. Officers arrested a doctor from Southern Health Management Clinic on Northlake Parkway in Tucker on Tuesday, July 3, 2012.
TUCKER, Ga. -

Federal drug agents and DeKalb police targeted a pain clinic for the second time in two weeks on Tuesday.

Officers arrested a doctor from Southern Health Management Clinic on Northlake Parkway in Tucker. The clinic, which is located just a short distance from the DeKalb County Police Department, has been open for 18 months.

DEA agent Chuvalo Truesdale says investigators have ample evidence the Tucker pain clinic is really a pill mill -- a place where doctors write prescriptions for oxocodone, Percocet and other regulated pain meds for a fee, with little to no patient consultation.

Truesdale said that pain pills of today remind him of crack houses of the 1980s.

"They were being funded, or they were being led and run by crack dealers. In this day and time, it's the clinicians that are running these pain clinics," said Truesdale.

Truesdale pointed to the high volume of out state tags as proof that patients can get what they the meds they want, even if they don't need it.

Two weeks ago the clinic's owner, Jeff Gonzalez, was arrested during a raid. That same day, Dr. Michael Assevero, an OB-GYN, was allowed to leave. On Tuesday, he was arrested.

Employee Nick Stabal denied that the clinic did anything wrong.

"People don't come here if they're remarketing the medication because they would never even get enough to justify the visit," said Stabal.

Assevero was charged with conspiracy to distribute oxocodone.

Gonzales, the owner of the clinic, was present during Tuesday's raid. He had no comment.

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