HOUSTON – A Houston doctor and veteran police officer faced felony charges Thursday after a sweeping 10-month investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, State Regulators and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
The investigation focused on the operation of a group of pain management clinics and pharmacies.
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Dr. Akili H. Graham was arrested at his Pearland apartment by DEA agents after a Harris County grand jury indicted him on four counts of illegally operating a pain management clinic, a third-degree felony.
Also charged was Houston police Officer Danny Muhammad, a 14-year veteran of the force. Muhammad last worked in the public affairs division of HPD and, according to department officials, he has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.
The investigation began last January when the State Board of Medical Examiners began investigating the "prescribing habits" of four businesses: the Imed Clinic on Long Point, the Umat Clinic on Park Place, The Oaks Clinic on South Main in the Highlands and the Preferred Medical Clinic on Federal.
State law requires that only licensed physicians be allowed to own pain management clinics.
State investigators said Graham was issued certificates of operation as the owner and operator of the four businesses. However, state investigators said a check of records filed with the Texas Secretary of State's Office revealed Muhammad and three other men were the actual owners of the clinics. The state then suspended all four businesses certificates and explained in a statement on the State Board's website, "the continued operation of the clinics poses a continuing threat to the public welfare, due to the fact that large amounts of dangerous drugs and controlled substances are being prescribed at a clinic in violation of statutory requirements for operating a pain clinic."
