Cave City, Kentucky, Physician Charged With Illegally Dispensing Controlled Substances Outside Of His Professional Medical Practice, Health Care Fraud And Identity Theft

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. this week, charged Christopher Steward, M.D., of Cave City, Kentucky, by grand jury indictment, with criminal counts of knowingly and intentionally distributing and dispensing controlled substances outside the course of professional medical practice, health care fraud, and identity theft, while he was a practicing physician in the Western District of Kentucky.

The eight-count indictment charging Steward alleges the criminal activity occurred between June of 2013, and July of 2015, in Barren County, Kentucky. Steward is charged with one-count of acquiring possession of controlled substances by misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge; three-counts of distributing and dispensing controlled substances outside the course of professional medical practice; two-counts of conspiracy to acquire possession of controlled substances by misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge; one-count of health care fraud; and one-count of illegally possessing and using a means of identification of another person (identity theft).

Steward was arrested yesterday, April 13, 2016, made an initial appearance before Magistrate Judge H. Brent Brennenstuhl, in Bowling Green, and released on a $25,000 unsecured bond.

In the event of a conviction, the maximum potential penalties Ford faces are no more than 67 years’ imprisonment, $3,500,000 in fines, and supervised release for a period of three years.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Weiser, and it results from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Kentucky State Police.