Feds Target Pain Patient Group’s President

Feds Target Pain Patient Group’s President; Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press, Wichita Eagle; 2008-03-07. Source.

See also:
PRN Raises Ante in Suit over Kan. Doc’s case – AP; 2008-02-28
PRN vs. Kansas & DOJ – Complete Lawsuit (ZIP) – PRN; 2008

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors claim the president of the Pain Relief Network of has a “parasitic” relationship with a Kansas physician indicted for running a “pill mill” linked to 56 deaths.

In a motion filed Friday, the government said the network was using Dr. Stephen Schneider’s case to further its political agenda and group President Siobhan Reynolds’ personal interests. The U.S. attorney’s office asked for a hearing to determine if a conflict of interest exists because the defense represents both Pain Relief Network and Schneider and his wife, nurse Linda Schneider. Prosecutors want a waiver from the defendants so they could not later challenge a conviction on the grounds of ineffective counsel.

But Reynolds defended her involvement in the criminal case against the Schneiders, likening her work to that of the American Civil Liberties Union or Human Rights Watch.

“There is nothing wrong, unethical, illegal, immoral about any of this. … This is an attack on my fundamental liberty to do our work,” Reynolds told The Associated Press. “I’ve developed some opinions after 15 cases of seeing innocent doctors going to prison for doing absolutely nothing but practicing medicine.”

The Haysville physician and his wife were indicted in December on federal charges of conspiracy, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, health care fraud, illegal money transactions and money laundering. The indictment alleges that the doctor and his wife with directly caused four deaths and contributed to the deaths of 11 other patients cited in the indictment. In all, the indictment links their clinic to the accidental overdose deaths of 56 patients.

The Schneiders, who remain jailed pending trial, have proclaimed their innocence.

Lawrence Williamson Jr., the defense attorney for Stephen Schneider, did not immediately respond to a message left on his voice mail Friday. Uzo L. Ohaebosim, who represents Linda Schneider, said he would respond later after more closely reviewing the government’s motion.

The government contended that Reynolds, who is not an attorney, may orchestrating the strategies in the criminal case and the civil injunction proceedings. It also said the network may be paying the defense lawyers.

“Ms. Reynolds may be in what could be best described as a sycophantic or parasitic relationship with the defendants,” prosecutors argued in the motion. “By telling them what they want to hear, she is able to appear supportive and helpful, while using the defendants to further her own personal interests.”

Prosecutors contended the network and Reynolds may impair the defendants’ ability to negotiate a pretrial resolution to the case because it would inhibit their efforts to use the Schneiders’ criminal prosecution to keep their names in the media.

“It also may well be that PRN/Reynolds are willing to sacrifice the defendants’ interests so that the defendants can be hailed as martyrs to their cause,” prosecutors said.

The government introduced as evidence recorded phone conversations the doctor and his wife had from jail with Reynolds and Patricia Hatcher, Linda Schneider’s sister. In them, Reynolds reportedly tells the doctor not to surrender his license and to tell his lawyers not to settle any more malpractice cases, among other advice.

“I always say I am not a lawyer,” Reynolds told AP. “I am simply giving them my perspective.”

She added that her group is not paying for the Schneiders’ criminal defense.

“It is preposterous,” Reynolds said of the government’s allegations. “I think it reveals the Justice Department is overreaching in this case and in all the other cases (against doctors). I think this kind of attack is unprecedented.”

On the Net:

U.S. attorney for Kansas: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ks/

Pain Relief Network: http://www.painreliefnetwork.org/

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