Newport Coast Doctor Admits to Selling Prescriptions to Dealers

A Newport Coast doctor who practiced in Downey and the Westlake
District pleaded guilty today to charges that he distributed tens of thousands of painkillers to "patients'' he never examined and who simply forked over cash for prescriptions.

Nazar Al Bussam, 72, entered the plea in Los Angeles federal court to 18 felony conspiracy and drug distribution charges. He admitted to prescribing drugs outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose, "knowing that the
substances distributed were controlled substances,'' Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Neuman told the court.

As part of his plea agreement with federal prosecutors, signed late
Tuesday on the eve of trial, Al Bussam agreed to give up his medical license and more than $450,000 in funds kept at his home, medical clinics and in various bank accounts in his name and that of his wife.

Prosecutors maintain he was raking in more than $1 million a year
selling prescriptions to highly addictive opiate painkillers, codeine cough syrup and anti-anxiety medications to anyone who paid cash.

The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that during a recent two-year period, Al Bussam wrote nearly 60,000 prescriptions for narcotics, with most of the prescriptions being used to obtain hydrocodone, oxycodone and Xanax.

Al Bussam "abused his position to line his pockets by supplying
narcotics to people involved in street-level drug dealing,'' said U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. "In doing so, Al Bussam violated his oath to 'do no harm' and contributed to the growing problem of prescription drug abuse.''

Al Bussam wrote prescriptions to cash-paying customers and undercover agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Medical Board of California.

As part of the investigation, undercover operatives went to his clinic,
saw the doctor and purchased prescriptions for various controlled substances, paying $200 in cash for each prescription on the first visit, and $100 in follow-up visits.

In his plea agreement, he specifically admitted that he illegally wrote
prescriptions for oxycodone, which is sold under a number of brand names, including Percocet; hydromorphone, sold under the brand name Dilaudid; hydrocodone, which is commonly sold as Vicodin, Norco and Lortab; alprazolam, which is marketed under the brand name Xanax; and promethazine with codeine, which is used to make a street concoction known as "sizzurp.''

The defendant was arrested in October at his Westlake clinic, along
with two of his employees—Rosemary Mendoza, 75, of West Covina, and Santiago Mendoza, 82, of Corona.

Santiago Mendoza pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later this year.
Rosemary Mendoza entered into a diversion agreement with the government, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Al Bussam faces a maximum possible sentence of 230 years in federal
prison, lifetime supervised release and a fine of up to $11.5 million at
sentencing Oct. 5.

Prosecutors asked that Al Bussam be remanded into custody immediately after the plea hearing. But U.S. District Judge S. James Otero rejected the request based on the defendant's "exceptional medical circumstances,'' referring to the possibility that his colon cancer may have returned. Al Bussam is awaiting the results of additional tests.

—Fred Shuster, City News Service