Mobile pain doctor arraigned on health care fraud, drug charges - AL.com
The Mobile pain doctor who accrued a fleet of luxury cars while allegedly committing health care fraud and illegally distributing pain killers pleaded not-guilty to the charges on Thursday in federal court. Ruan, who apparently broke his own "world record" of having seven medical board/subspecialty board certifications, was arrested last week at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia. John Patrick Couch and Ruan were indicted by a grand jury last month in federal court for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, and conspiracy to... Couch previously pleaded not not-guilty on the charges and the jury selection for his trial is set for June 29. Couch and Ruan own Physician's Pain Specialists of Alabama, according to the indictment. Additionally, they own C&R Pharmacy, located adjacent to their practice on Airport Boulevard. On Wednesday, DEA agents raided pain clinics, pharmacies and other locations in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi as part of "Operation Pilluted. Doctors in the Birmingham area and in Jasper were also charged as part of the federal sting. Alabama is a national leader in pain pill prescriptions with 143 pain killer. Source: www.al.com
