Local doctor arrested for unlawful drug distribution
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. (News10) – A doctor in Clifton Park was arrested Tuesday for allegedly distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.
The arrest of 50-year-old Scott McMahon was announced by the Department of Justice and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
McMahon practices in Clifton Park and has maintained offices in Albany and other locations within the Capital Region in the past.
According to the Department of Justice, McMahon prescribed controlled substances, including Ritalin and its generic equivalents, for non-medical purposes, often with the intent of having his patients kick back a portion of each prescription to him for his own personal use.
The complaint alleges that McMahon prescribed drugs to people who were never his patients, including three young children of one patient, and the boyfriend of another patient.
McMahon appeared Tuesday in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for August 14.
If convicted, McMahon faces up to 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and a maximum $1 million dollar fine.