A federal grand jury has indicted Destin physician Robert Bourlier, 54, with heath care fraud and the unlawful dispensing of controlled substances. The indictment also charges Bourlier’s wife and office manager, Victoria Bourlier, a/k/a “Karen Victoria Ritchey”, 51, with obstruction of justice.

The 151-count indictment charges Robert Bourlier with 20 counts of health care fraud, 128 counts of unlawfully dispensing controlled substances, and 2 counts of dispensing controlled substances whose use resulted in the death of an individual.

Victoria Bourlier was charged with obstructing and impeding an official investigation.

The indictment alleges that while operating a medical business known as “Dr. Robert Bourlier, Internal Medicine,” on U.S. Highway 98 in Destin, Bourlier prescribed controlled substances to patients without a sufficient medical necessity.

He allegedly prescribed these substances in quantities and dosages that caused his patients to abuse, misuse, and become addicted to the drugs. The indictment further alleges that Bourlier prescribed controlled substances to patients knowing that the patients were addicted to and misusing these drugs.

Dr. Bourlier continued to prescribe addictive controlled substances to patients even after learning that the patients had suffered overdoses on the drugs, were selling the drugs, or were “doctor shopping.”

The first 20 counts of the indictment charge Bourlier with committing health care fraud by prescribing excessive and inappropriate quantities of controlled substances to patients outside the usual course of professional practice, and causing these patients to fill prescriptions at various pharmacies, which resulted in Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield paying for medically unnecessary prescriptions.

In addition, the indictment alleges that Bourlier submitted fraudulent claims for medical services to health care benefit organizations. Counts 21 through 148 of the indictment charge that Bourlier illegally dispensed and caused to be dispensed: narcotics, including oxycodone, methadone, and hydrocodone; sedatives, including diazepam, zolpidem and temazepam; the anti-anxiety drug, alprazolam; butalbital, a barbiturate; clonazepam, an anti-convulsant; and phentermine, a central nervous system stimulant.

Counts 149 and 150 charge that Bourlier’s dispensing of methadone and alprazolam, in September 2006 and his dispensing of hydrocodone and alprazolam in August 2007, resulted in the death of two patients.

Count 151 charges that Victoria Bourlier obstructed justice by removing records, documents and objects, including two safes and a duffel bag from the residence she shared with Robert Bourlier while officials were executing a search warrant at Bourlier’s medical office.

The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of real and personal property of Robert Bourlier.

Defendants were arrested by federal, state, and local agents Friday morning in Destin, Florida, on federal warrants issued based upon the charges of the indictment. Both defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in the indictment at 11am on March 10 before Magistrate Judge Miles Davis in federal District Court in Pensacola.

This indictment is the result of a joint Federal/State North Florida Health Care Fraud Task Force investigation that commenced more than two years ago. United States Attorney Kirwin commended the diligent efforts of investigators of the agencies involved in this complex investigation, and praised the cooperation of citizens and pharmacists who alerted investigators to the conduct alleged in the indictment.