8 sentenced to prison for roles in Buckhead ‘pill mill’

An Atlanta anesthesiologist has been sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for illegally prescribing painkillers, prosecutors said.

Seven other people were sentenced for their roles in the pain clinic that operated in Buckhead and other locations in metro Atlanta, U.S. Attorney John Horn said.

For at least eight months, Romie Earl Roland, 57, prescribed oxycodone, methadone and Percocet “for no legitimate purpose,” Horn said.

“Physicians, like Roland, take an oath to do no harm, but he ignored his responsibility when he joined with a corrupt clinic owner to make money by selling prescriptions to drug seekers,” Horn said.

Investigators, who began looking into the operation in late 2012, found that many of Roland’s patients were drug dealers, drug abusers or both.

Roland prescribed the drugs at Express Health Center in Buckhead, ATL Pain Institute in Doraville and Key Pain Center in Lawrenceville, Horn said.

Also sentenced after pleading guilty in connection with the case were Anthony Licata, Charlyn Carter, Adrian Singletary, Dante Cummings, Anthony Ferguson, Danny Thompson and Joshua Gadd, prosectors said.

Licata, who was the principal owner, came to Atlanta solely to operate a pill mill, officials said.

Sentences for the other defendants were:

• Licata, 31, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 11 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

• Carter, 44, of Austell, six years, six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

• Singletary, 44, of Atlanta, three years, 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

• Cummings, 28, of Ellenwood, four years, eight months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

• Thompson, 47, of Happy, Ky., five years, one month in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

• Ferguson, 48, of Owingsville, Ky., seven years, eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

• Gadd, 40, of Atlanta, five years, six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

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