Former Casper Doctor Sentenced Again to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Scheme
Dr. Shakeel Kahn, a former Casper physician, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on Friday following his second conviction in a case involving drug distribution, firearms possession, and money laundering. The U.S. Justice Department confirmed the sentencing in a release.
The Scheme and Its Consequences
The federal complaint revealed that Kahn operated a nationwide drug distribution network through his purported pain management clinics, including one in Casper, Wyoming. He wrote opioid prescriptions in exchange for cash, a practice that resulted in at least one overdose death, according to investigators.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating Kahn in 2016 after a complaint from the Wyoming Board of Medicine. Evidence showed he moved his practice to Casper in 2015 after pharmacies in Arizona refused to fill his prescriptions.
Kahn’s clinic in Casper, located in an unmarked office on the 300 block of Fenway, became a hub for patients from across the country. Trial evidence demonstrated that patients from Massachusetts, Kentucky, and Arizona frequently traveled to Casper for prescriptions, sometimes filling identical scripts in multiple states.
Legal Proceedings
Kahn was initially convicted in 2019, but the verdict was overturned by an appellate court due to issues with jury instructions regarding physician liability under the Controlled Substances Act. Following a six-week retrial, a federal jury convicted him again on December 15, 2024, under U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson.
Questionable Practices
The trial revealed troubling details about Kahn's operations:
- Patients were required to sign documents stating they were not addicts, that Kahn was not a "drug dealer," and that they could be held liable for up to $100,000 if criminal charges arose against him.
- Patients also signed agreements promising not to wear recording devices in his office.
- In some cases, Kahn accepted firearms as payment instead of cash.
Medical experts testified that Kahn prescribed dangerous combinations of drugs without proper consultations or counseling and falsified documentation of office visits.
“The patients who received the medications often had no visible source of income to afford the prescriptions, aside from what they earned by re-selling the drugs on the street,” the Justice Department stated.
Family Involvement and Targeting Vulnerable Addicts
The Justice Department accused Kahn of targeting vulnerable addicts in his scheme. His wife and brother were also convicted for their roles in the conspiracy.
Source: Oil City News