Ex-employee of medical clinic pleads guilty to FBI charges

HAZARD, Ky. (AP) — A former employee of a Hazard clinic the FBI says was illegally distributing prescription drugs has pleaded guilty.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports (http://bit.ly/1d6CYTp ) former physician assistant Gregory Hoskins pleaded guilty Thursday to helping fill drug orders at Ace Clinique of Medicine, even though he says he knew many of the patients were not seeking legitimate medical treatment. Hoskins faces up to five years in prison.

The FBI indicted clinic operators Dr. James Chaney and his wife Lesa Chaney last year, accusing them of running a pill mill for about eight years. The most serious charges carry sentences of up to 20 years.

Authorities also seek a judgment of $23.3 million, representing the gross proceeds from 2006 through 2014 of the activities the FBI says the clinic was illegally involved in.

___

Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com

©2015 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.