Authorities said a psychiatrist signed more than a thousand prescriptions in Fayetteville — from her jail cell.
Her husband and two of her nurse practitioners joined her in jail after allegedly writing those prescriptions without a license, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Dr. Ginari Price, of Psycare LLC off Devant Street, was in jail for allegedly driving under the influence and hitting two cars while her infant was in her lap, Channel 2 reported. She faces several charges, including DUI and fleeing police.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration arrested her husband, Michael Price, along with nurse practitioners Marie Pierre and Ngozi Okoro after being called in to investigate the flow of prescriptions, the news station reported.
“Dr. Price was incarcerated at the time,” DEA agent Chuvalo Truesdell told Channel 2. “They were prescribing medications in her name.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Fayette County District Attorney’s Office investigator Saul Alter told the news station that an “excess of 1,000” patients received illegitimate prescriptions from Price’s team.
The DEA, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia Composite Medical Board conducted the investigation.
The Prices, Pierre and Okoro all face four charges, including unauthorized distribution of controlled substances and practicing medicine without a license, Channel 2 reported.
Deputy Chief Assistant DA Warren Sellers told the news station that Dr. Price has a license, but she’s being charged because she’s accused of illegally helping the other three practice medicine.
Michael Price did not respond to Channel 2’s request for comment. Pierre told the news station, “I did not (break the law).” Okoro told a DEA Task Force officer that “I did nothing wrong.”
Dr. Price’s attorney, Tom Barton, told Channel 2 he anticipates no guilty pleas to any new charges against her.
All four remain in the Fayette County Jail.
AJC.com has reached out to the sheriff’s office to see if bonds have been set.
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