Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jun 2004
Source: Roanoke Times (VA)
Copyright: 2004 Roanoke Times
Contact:  http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/368
Author: Jen McCaffery,The Roanoke Times

GRAND JURY HANDS DOWN CHARGES AGAINST DR. KNOX

The New Allegations Are Slightly Different From Those In The Previous 
Indictment.

Roanoke pain specialist Cecil Byron Knox faces additional allegations of 
actions federal prosecutors say were part of an organized criminal 
enterprise, according to a new indictment a grand jury in Charlottesville 
handed down Wednesday.

The new allegations are slightly different from those in the previous 
indictment against Knox.

In the previous indictment, the allegation that Knox prescribed the 
stimulant Fastin to a patient in February, March and April 1998 with the 
intention of sharing it with her was named as one of seven acts to support 
the charge that Knox had committed racketeering.

The new indictment has split the allegation that Knox prescribed Fastin to 
the patient into three separate acts that prosecutors Tom Bondurant and 
Patrick Hogeboom say show that Knox was running a criminal enterprise with 
his medical practice, Southwest Virginia Physical Medicine and 
Rehabilitation on Second Street Southwest.

To convict a defendant of racketeering, a jury must determine that the 
person committed at least two of the acts named under the racketeering 
charge in the indictment.

The other racketeering allegations are that Knox and his office manager, 
Beverly Gale Boone, committed health care fraud in five instances. 
Prosecutors also say Knox was trafficking drugs as part of the alleged 
criminal enterprise.

"We'll plan to defend it," Roanoke attorney Tony Anderson, one of Knox's 
lawyers, said of the new allegations.

In addition to the racketeering charge, Knox also faces 14 charges that his 
prescriptions of opioid medications such as OxyContin and Oxy IR were 
outside the scope of legitimate medical practice and led to someone's death 
or serious bodily injury.

Knox is also charged in 64 instances in which he is accused of prescribing 
medication outside the scope of legitimate medical practice, and he faces 
perjury charges.

Knox, 55, and Boone, 45, both of Roanoke County, face additional charges of 
conspiracy, mail fraud, health care fraud and illegal kickbacks. A jury 
failed to convict the two defendants of any charges last fall, the first 
time they stood trial.

They are scheduled for trial again Nov. 1.

Bondurant did not return a call for comment, and Hogeboom declined to 
comment on the allegations.
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