Grand jury indicts Arkansas doctor

2009-10-14 03:41:42 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Government, Justice News Flash)

Federal grand jury indicts doctor from Arkansas Center for Women in Pine Bluff for implanting IUD’s into female patients not approved by the FDA.

Arkansas government lawyers win federal grand jury indictment against Pine Bluff Arkansas doctor for using illegal intrauterine devices in female patients.

Little Rock, AK–An Arkansas doctor specializing in women’s health care who was accused of implanting non-approved versions of Bayer manufactured IUD, Mirena, in female patients was indicted on several criminal charges. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas and the Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Kansas City Field Office, brought multiple charges to a federal grand jury against Dr. Kelly Dean Shrum. The 44 year-old Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, who practiced at the Arkansas Center for Women, LTD, was indicted by the federal grand jury for the following counts on October 8, 2009:

-One count of misbranding
-One count of Health Care Fraud
-Three counts of money laundering
-Several forfeiture allegations

An IUD, which stands for Intrauterine Device is a birth control method implanted into a woman’s uterus to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires such medical devices to be approved for use by the government. According to the Department of Justice’s press release, Shrum allegedly used non-approved IUD’s and marketed them to his patients as Mirena, the popular hormone releasing IUD manufactured by Bayer. The doctor is also accused of billing Arkansas’ Medicaid program for the illegal device claiming he was implanting Mirena into his female patients. The doctor received reimbursements from the Medicaid program directly into his account. He is charged with money laundering for billing, accepting, and withdrawing the falsely acquired Medicaid funds. Government lawyers and federal investigators discovered several non-approved versions of Bayer’s Mirena during a search of his Pine Bluff offices.

Arkansas government lawyers alerts by legal news reporter Heather L. Ryan.