A.G.: Dentist was dealing drugs
INSTEAD OF HANDING out toothbrushes and dental floss, a dentist in East Mount Airy was busted dishing out prescriptions for Percocet and Oxycodone — and may have treated patients while he was high on crack cocaine, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General. A monthlong investigation — which began with a tip from a confidential informant — ended Thursday with the arrest of Chandrakant Parekh, 62, who allegedly sold at least 14 prescriptions for Oxycodone and Percocet for between $30 and $40 each from his clinic on Germantown Avenue near Sharpnack Street.
INSTEAD OF HANDING out toothbrushes and dental floss, a dentist in East Mount Airy was busted dishing out prescriptions for Percocet and Oxycodone — and may have treated patients while he was high on crack cocaine, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General.
A monthlong investigation — which began with a tip from a confidential informant — ended Thursday with the arrest of Chandrakant Parekh, 62, who allegedly sold at least 14 prescriptions for Oxycodone and Percocet for between $30 and $40 each from his clinic on Germantown Avenue near Sharpnack Street.
To try covering his tracks, officials said Parekh would occasionally pair the prescriptions with a prescription for Kephlex, an antibiotic medication.
After gathering information on Parekh's clinic from confidential sources, two confidential informants placed recorded phone calls to his cellphone between Monday and Thursday to order prescriptions for Percocet, said Nils Frederiksen, Attorney General spokesman.
After the informants texted Parekh phony names and birthdays for the prescriptions, The dentist met with them at a church near the clinic and handed over a prescription for percocet for $80, In exchange for $80, Parekh handed over a prescription for percocet, according to the Attorney General's office.
Authorities executed a search warrant Thursday and found Parekh in surgical gear after he finished with a patient. Officials asked Parekh to let them into the apartments on the second and third floor above his office and upon entry, they found empty crack baggies, a few spoons and pre-written prescriptions.
Before leading authorities up to the apartments, Parekh told them he lived there. However, the address on his driver's license is for a home on Byberry Road near Pine in Huntingdon Valley.
Parekh was arrested on drug charges and reckless endangerment, according to court documents, and is being held in the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on $500,000 bail.
He is scheduled to appear in court on May 29 for a preliminary hearing.
Contact Phillip Lucas at 215-854-5914, lucasp@phillynews.com, or follow @UnPhiltered on Twitter. Read his blog at www.phillyconfidential.com.