Alleged Pain Meds Ring Busted

A Lawrence County physician, accused of being the highest prescriber of pain medication in Pennsylvania, has been arrested along with several of his patients. The Attorney General's office says Dr. Van Edward Scott of New Castle is charged with illegally prescribing massive quantities of pain killers which were then resold on the streets. Authorities say Scott was part of a large scale illegal oxycodone, morphine and fentanyl distribution ring in Beaver, Mercer and Lawrence Counties. According to the grand jury, Scott prescribed nearly 2.2 million doses of pain killers in one year which agents estimate have a street value of at least $50 million.
The grand jury also indicted Scott's patients: Raymond Wigton, Kelley Tritt, Joseph Gura, Carrie Parker, William Kroll, Lucinda McNary and George Mali as traffickers and suppliers of oxycontin, methadone, endocet, percocet, fentanyl and valium.