A judge has handed out sentences to a doctor and wife for operating a $6.7 million pill mill out of Pinellas Park that prosecutors have linked to at least three deaths.
Dr. Edward Feldman, 76, and Kim Feldman, his 66-year-old wife, now face federal prison time for their conspiring roles in the illegal drug practice.
Dr. Feldman's sentence of 25 years stems from charges including prescribing drugs illegally, prescribing drugs that resulted in death and money laundering. His wife received a four year sentence. Her charges are tied to her role in money laundering and distribution of the illegal prescriptions.
The operation ran out of the Feldman Orthopedic and Wellness Center (FOWC) in Pinellas Park. The illegal operation dealt primarily in oxycodone and methadone, but court documents also list alprazolam and diazepam.
In addition to their prison sentences, the couple was also placed under court order to forfeit a considerable sum of assets. The court determined the proceeds of the illegal pill operation to be more than $6.7 million, a majority of which was funneled into dozens of bank and investment accounts.
Forfeitures tied to dirty money
- The couple's home
- Mercedes Benz, Infinity EX35
- $489,000 cash
Forfeitures to satisfy money judgment
- Jewelry, gold coins, precious metals
- 2011 Porsche
(Total value $116,131, leaving $6.6 million remaining in the judgment)
The court also ordered the couple to forfeit the FOWC building due to its facilitation of the crimes.
Court documents indicate the operation was active from 2009 to 2014, during which the clinic saw roughly 90 patients per day. For context and scale, new patients reportedly paid $300 cash for visits.
The DEA and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigated this case.
