Doctor Faces Dozens Of Drug Charges

By Ashli Sims, News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A long-time Tulsa doctor has been accused of peddling pills. He's charged with 34 counts of distributing drugs and one count of Medicaid fraud. The News On 6 did some digging and found this isn't the first accusation against the doctor.

Dr. David Crass isn't just facing criminal charges. He's also being sued for medical negligence and a recent complaint with the medical board says two of his patients died from drug overdoses.

The sign out front at 17th and Boston says Dr. David Crass, MD. But state investigators say the psychiatrist wasn't so much prescribing care, as he was doling out large doses of highly addictive drugs.

The state attorney general's office sent two undercover agents into Dr. Crass' office in 2005.

The affidavit states the officer met with Crass for 16 minutes the first time. He prescribed her Adderall and Xanax, without checking her vital signs.

A month later, another appointment, another prescription. It lasted only five minutes, again no vitals were taken. The next time, the agent complained of headaches.

According to the affidavit, Crass prescribed her Adderall, Ambien, Lortab and sent her home with a sack of samples of prescription sleeping pills. She was in and out of the office in eight minutes, again no vitals were taken.  

That's just part of the investigation that led to a 34 count criminal indictment against Crass. But there's a complaint on file with the state medical board that's possibly more damning.

It was filed last June, accusing Crass of overprescribing seven of his patients. The complaint says he was treating one patient for depression, panic disorder, ADHD and acute and chronic pain.

It says he prescribed the patient three psychoactive drugs and three different pain killers, plus methadone without performing a physical exam.

It also says that patient died in June of 2005 from an overdose of Xanax and Methadone.

The complaint listed a second patient that died from a drug overdose and it accuses Dr. Crass of continuing to prescribe high doses of drugs to two patients who had histories of drug addiction.      

Dr. Crass did have his license suspended back in 1991 for Medicaid fraud and was put on probation for two years.

There were no other complaints until June of 2008 and he's still listed as active.

Dr. Crass told The News On 6 he didn't want to comment on the case and his lawyer didn't return any calls.