Psychiatrist David Crass convicted on 23 drug counts

August 31, 2011

Tulsa County jurors who deliberated Monday night into Tuesday morning found a Tulsa doctor guilty of 23 felony counts of distributing controlled and dangerous substances.

The jury meted out fines totaling $700,000 to Dr. David Crass for those offenses but did not impose any prison time.

Crass was found not guilty of 11 other drug-distribution felony counts.

He was also convicted of one misdemeanor, Medicaid fraud, and was fined $2,335 for that.

The verdicts concluded a trial in District Judge James Caputo's court.

Jurors began deliberating about 7:35 p.m. Monday and announced that they had reached verdicts more than 10 hours later - about 6 a.m. Tuesday.

The state Attorney General's Office charged Crass in October 2008, alleging that he had prescribed medications "not in good faith" and "outside the course of professional practice."

The offenses were alleged to have occurred between June 14, 2005, and April 18, 2006, when Crass had a psychiatric and pain management practice at his office in the 1700 block of South Boston Avenue, records show.

Prosecutors alleged that he prescribed drugs such as Xanax, Valium, Lortab and Adderall without a sufficient medical basis to show that those drugs were needed.

Some counts involved testimony from two undercover agents who went to the defendant's office as patients and obtained prescriptions.

Crass, who posted bond after being charged in October 2008, did not testify at his trial.

He is still a licensed medical doctor, according to the website of the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision.

In the Medicaid fraud count, Crass was accused of knowingly causing claims to be submitted for payment when he knew that the claims involved prescriptions for controlled substances that were not necessary.

Defense attorney James Linger asserted that there was insufficient evidence to support a conviction.

He indicated that Crass' options include pursuing efforts to get the guilty verdicts set aside and to get a new trial.

In a news release issued Tuesday, state Attorney General Scott Pruitt said his office's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is dedicated to protecting Oklahoma residents against people who would defraud the Medicaid system.

Source: Bill Braun, "Tulsa doctor convicted in drug-distribution case; He also is found guilty of Medicaid fraud and must pay numerous fines," Tulsa World, August 31, 2011.