Doctor accused of running pill mill on Columbus' North Side facing more than 140 charges

A doctor accused of operating a pill mill on the North Side of Columbus faces more than 140 criminal charges, according to an indictment filed Wednesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.

Mark S. Fettman, 76, had already been facing a five count indictment filed in 2021 that accused him of operating a pill mill between September 2020 and January 2021. The new indictment filed Wednesday accuses him of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, money laundering and more than 130 separate counts of drug trafficking.

Fettman's attorney, David Thomas, said Fettman will continue to defend himself vigorously against the charges filed against him. Thomas said the new indictment was not unexpected.

According to court documents, Fettman had been operating an addiction management clinic at 6161 Busch Blvd. on the city's North Side. Prosecutors said in motions filed in the 2021 case that an undercover investigator had gone to Fettman's clinic on multiple occasions.

The clinic, which was only open two days a month, did not accept insurance and would only take cash or money orders for $290, according to court records. Fettman generally met with patients for three minutes before prescribing the maximum legal dose of buprenorphine/naloxone, commonly called Suboxone.

In at least one instance, the undercover investigator purposely missed an appointment and called the clinic. The investigator was told to take a money order to the home of the clinic's office assistant and Fettman would then call in a Suboxone prescription, court records said.

Suboxone is a drug used to treat the neurological causes of addiction. However, the drug can also be abused and is considered an illegal narcotic if someone has it without a prescription.

Ohio law requires prescribers of medications like Suboxone to conduct physical exams on patients.

Fettman is currently living near Portland, Oregon but is not practicing medicine, Thomas said. Fettman's medical license in Ohio remains active, according to the state medical board.

Fettman is next scheduled to appear in court on May 1, according to court records.