Photo Credits: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (CW44 News At 10)– Narcotics Detectives arrested a doctor in Clearwater for fraudulent prescriptions being written and sold.
According to detectives, on May 11, detectives received information about 62-year-old Dr. Neelam Uppal as a potential source of writing the illegitimate prescriptions, specifically for Promethazine Codeine Syrup and Oxycodone. Detectives learned since January of 2022, Uppal sold over five hundred and fifty (550) Promethazine Codeine Syrup prescriptions and hundreds of Oxycodone prescriptions. Detectives say Dr. Uppal has been preying on drug addicts for several years.
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Throughout the course of the investigation, Uppal prescribed both Promethazine Codeine Syrup and Oxycodone to undercover detectives without ever seeing, examining or speaking to them. Detectives received the prescriptions after paying $650.00 cash for each Promethazine Codeine Syrup prescription and $450.00 cash for each Oxycodone prescription.
Uppal is listed as an Infectious Disease Doctor and detectives say The Florida Department of Health shows Uppal to be on probationary status.
On July 26, 2022, detectives served a search warrant at Uppal’s residence and business. Uppal primarily conducted business from her residence. While detectives were at Uppal’s residence two individuals arrived to obtain additional fraudulent prescriptions.
Detectives located the following items in the search:
- Multiple prescription pads
- Minimal patient records and documents
- Multiple handwritten ledgers
- Multiple prescriptions filled out with a variety of patients’ names
- $1,906,483.00 in US Currency
- Gold bars and jewelry valued at approximately $175,000
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Uppal was charged with three counts of Trafficking in Codeine and three counts of Trafficking in Oxycodone. She was taken into custody and transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was also present and served Uppal with a civil injunction to revoke her ability to further prescribe medication.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division will continue to pursue doctors who are preying on addicts and contribute to doctor shopping.
The investigation continues.
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