Yulee, Fla. – The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) worked together on a case that originally began in 2011 involving a doctor at a pain clinic in Clay County.
As a member of the DEA Task Force, NCSO became involved in the case in 2014. It was determined through the investigation that Doctor Russell H. Sachs was operating a “pill mill” at the Physician Pain Management Clinic in Green Cove Springs, Florida and was over prescribing medication, such as Oxycodone, Methadone and Hydrocodone, to his patients, as well as money laundering.
A Federal Arrest Warrant was issued for Sachs on March 11, 2015. On March 13, 2015, DEA, IRS, FBI and NCSO executed a search warrant at the residence of Sachs. A variety of miscellaneous precious gold metals were seized, $393,622 in value, which was determined to be purchased by Sachs with U.S. Currency earned from Unlawful Dispensing of a Controlled Substance.
In January, 2017, Sachs was sentenced to 24 months at the United States Bureau of Prisons followed by 36 months of supervised release (Federal Probation) after pleading guilty to the charge of Unlawful Dispensing of a Controlled Substance. Dr. Sachs also surrendered his medical license for life, as part of his plea agreement.
NCSO was awarded a portion of the seized funds from DEA and IRS in the amount of $104,617.01. Representatives of DEA and the IRS presented NCSO Sheriff Bill Leeper the check on Friday, November 17, 2017.
Picture: Left to Right, Mike Mayer (DEA Group Supervisor), Sheriff Bill Leeper, Chad Cook (DEA Area Supervisor in Charge), Andy Macey (IRS Group Supervisor)
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