On March 22, 2016, Michael Cozzi, MD, the owner of FW Interventional Pain Management in Fort Wayne, Indiana was arrested after around 30 vehicles of federal drug agents raided his properties as a helicopter circled overhead.
I would say that is just a little bit of overkill. The raid was followed up with a petition by Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller to the state’s Medical Licensing Board to suspend Dr. Cozzi’s medical license for alleged “dangerous controlled substance prescribing.”
Really? Does that really warrant the manpower and cost of the raid? This just goes to show that the War Against Doctors is a big moneymaker. Big enough to float that many salaries for law enforcement personnel. They sure don’t turn out that kind of force against the man on the street corner selling cocaine or meth. In my area the law knows what the street pushers are doing, but just ignore it.
What Did Michael Cozzi Do?
In a press release, the attorney general’s office said Cozzi prescribed more controlled substances than any other prescriber in Indiana between January 2014 and February 2016, including some 2 million doses of Oxycodone and 1.2 million doses of hydrocodone. From January to February 2016, he prescribed controlled substances to about 1,700 patients, and saw 90-100 patients a day.
That could be just the result of a conscientious doctor trying to serve as many people as he could, because no one else was willing. When you work the numbers, that is 4 pills per patient per day, which is well under the therapeutic levels for both oxycodone and hydrocodone.
A DEA investigation found that at least three of Cozzi’s patients died due to complications from the prescribed drug use, the attorney general’s office said. One victim received 50 prescriptions for controlled substances from six different providers in the last year, 35 written by Cozzi.
Three patients out of 1700 is 0.1%. I think cardiologists have a worse percentage than that. Why aren’t they being arrested? Or let’s take it out of the medical realm altogether. I bet lawyers that take care of lawsuits involving injury have a worse client loss rate. Why aren’t we arresting them?
Also according to the petition, pharmacies have refused to fill prescriptions written by Dr. Cozzi over concerns that they lacked legal and medical justifications.
My guess is the pharmacies were approached by the government agents. And since pharmacists can be charged as well as doctors, they quit out of self-protection, not because they thought Dr. Cozzi was doing anything wrong.
Investigators also interviewed several staff members at Cozzi’s office who claimed he was verbally abusive and sexually harassed patients and employees. Some of Cozzi’s former female patients reported that Cozzi touched them inappropriately and asked them to perform sexual acts in his office.
And the key word here is “former”. Patients that have been dismissed from the practice are always disgruntled and will say anything they can to make it look like it was the doctor’s fault. Sexual harassment is an easy charge to make.
They also told investigators that in order for Cozzi to see up to 100 patients a day, medical charts and prescriptions were sometimes prepared before patients even went to the office to reduce the amount of time each patient would require.
Sounds like good planning on his part. Chronic pain visits can be started in a CPR and simply note the patient responses at the time of the visit. Visits are pretty standard. That’s not the sign of a bad doctor, but a prepared one.
The paper continued at the end with an incriminating statement: “Cozzi has a criminal past. In 2014, he was arrested on domestic battery and strangulation charges after police said he beat and strangled a woman over an argument about how the school system was “feminizing their son.” The charges were ultimately dropped.
So if the charges were dropped, why is it being reported as a “criminal past”? Or why is it being reported at all? Sounds like the press in this case definitely wants to indemnify Dr. Cossi as much as possible.
Dr. Cozzi has had his medical license suspended for 90 days for an investigation. Usually the doctor doesn’t get it back when this happens. So now 1700 people are forced to the street to treat their pain. I bet more than 4 deaths occur as a result of that.
Addendum on Michael Cozzi, MD, 2018
Dr. Cozzi will be unable to defend himself against this government misconduct. Due to the fact that he was prevented from practicing medicine by an out-of-control government and a colluding state medical board, Dr. Cozzi was working on a farm. On August 15, he was tragically killed in a tractor accident. When these attacks on good, compassionate doctors are accepted as the gross government misconduct they are, the officials attaching him should be forced to pay.
Addendum from the author:
I have failed in my mission to end these attacks on doctors and pain patients. Through John Bevere’s book The Bait of Satan, I have figured out why—my lack of forgiveness to those who attacked me. As in Mark 11: 24-26:
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
And when you do not do the will of the Father, you are estranged from him and he will ignore you. So we all must forgive the agents who attacked us in order for things to be made right through any of our works.
Jesus said
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
But we cannot lay down our lives for God unless we know Him well enough to trust Him. We must have the assurance that He would never do anything to harm us. He always looks out for what He knows is in our best interest. As a nation, those of us suffering from these attacks must understand that we are serving as God’s messengers of love. We must forgive those who persecute us and love them instead, following God’s will for us. Then and only then will we see fruits from our labor.
So I hope that everyone who has suffered from what happened to the doctor can trust the Lord, forgive those who have hurt you, and help bring this country back to the God-fearing country that our forefathers founded. Then, and only then, can you be a part of the effort to stop these attacks. I look forward to that day.
Linda Cheek is a teacher and disenfranchised medical doctor, turned activist, author, and speaker. A victim of prosecutorial misconduct and outright law-breaking of the government agencies DEA, DHHS, and DOJ, she hopes to be a part of exonerating all doctors illegally attacked through the Controlled Substance Act. She holds the key to success, as she can offset the government propaganda that drugs cause addiction with the truth: The REAL Cause of Drug Abuse.
Get a free gift to learn how the government is breaking the law to attack your doctor: Click here to get my free gift
Doctor Cozzi died in a tractor accident, in 2018. As a RN in the hospital, I knew him. Many of our nurses were afraid of his effective treatments for pain, primarily because he used epidural analgesia post-operatively. While these patients were requiring more careful monitoring, it was the nurse responsibility to do his/her job, and they were inpatient. I actually was a new grad (c.2002) when I worked with him, before all of this attention on opiates. I liked him because he was compassionate at what he did, which did require courage. Not all of his colleagues liked him, and he was thrown under the bus in our hospital community. He went to becoming the pain management physician, and turned away anyone who was taking benzos and opiates (I know a few).
I just wanted to say that I was saddened by the manner of the raid and arrest, and that the DEA has too much power. People are suffering, and as a member of the medical community it is very sad.
Dr. Cozzi died in a tractor accident on his property on August 16, 2018. I can’t say how upset I am to hear this. He should have been in his office treating pain, except for the illegal attacks on him by the government. I hope his family gets involved in the fight so that this stops happening to other doctors in the country.
Even though the government has the greatest responsibility in this horrible accident, all of the doctors and pain patients that are ignoring the ONE way to end this fiasco are also to blame. I have the answer, but all I can do is wait for people to accept it and spread it.
PLEASE HELP HELP THIS INNOCENT MAN
DR MICHEAL COZZI
NUMBERS MAKE A LOUD STATEMENT
Medical Licensing Board of Indiana
402 West Washington Street, Room W072
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
please join us at above address to support Dr M Cozzi
MAY 26TH AT 8:30AM
Hi u guys aren’t alone. I feel sorry for u guys but in case you aren’t keeping track it seems to be happening all over. I live in buffalo NY and our pain management doctor has also been attacked in the same manor but it seems he had many more patients. Dr Eugene gosy. And primary doctors won’t help. And all I keep reading about is the opioid epidemic. Yet there is ten thousand patients left without caste because their primaries aren’t getting involved and neither are the hospitals. And several insurance companies have dropped him.
if you want to help support dr cozzi be at the medical board at 8:30 on may 26th
Medical Licensing Board of Indiana
402 West Washington Street, Room W072
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
please join us at above address to support Dr M Cozzi
MAY 26TH AT 8:30AM
Please help me get my medicine I’m being denied now due to CDC guidelines my pain management doctor is following. My medicines have been cut drastically and will be taken away my next appointment to the point of another withdrawal as I’ve faced the last 2 months only this one will be worse as he lowers me to 4 short term breakthrough a day and 2 long term from 3 and I don’t know if I will get any if I confront him as I was given 90 days or find another doctor. He’s still willing to see me May 2, 2016 but if he reads my Facebook and my support columns posted I may be cut off all together as I’m already not functioning at work. I’ve missed 17 days in the last 42 days.
I’m not sure I can do any more than pray for you, but I will do that. Don’t lose hope. We will win this battle sooner or later. Depending on where you live, is it close enough to me that I could come do a seminar in your area? I am willing to travel for expenses only. Also, pay attention to when I start my webinars and get people, including your doctor, to attend.
To all who have posted: PLEASE HELP! here’s your chance to SPEAK UP AMERICA. Dr Cozzi will stand before the medical board on May 26th. Without our support he stands little chance, which means we stand less a chance. We need to be there and be heard. Dr Cozzi ran a tight ship, we were taken care of and he heard us when we asked questions had concerns. He helped us now we can help him. The more of us that show the louder the voice. so please pass it along.
MAY 26TH AT 8:30 am MEDICAL LICENSE BOARD. This is our only chance to speak out. Dr’s are scared they feel they have a target on their back, why would they want to treat us when they fall under attack and we all run away. I believe Doctor Cozzi was a GOOD Doctor and DID NOT do any Wrong. I will be there and I will speak loud in his defense. Please join me. I will update with a address shortly.
I’m dying here !!!! I can’t earn money to even feed myself. Hurts to do anything.. I can’t find help anywhere I go.. all doctors are scared now.. this has ruined my whole summer… and I don’t remember giving the d.e.a. permission to read my medical records !!!! I think I need a good lawyer at this point…
I did not give anyone the right to read my personal medical records. It is a abuse of power. However, we have a chance to be heard. On May 26th Dr Cozzi will stand before the medical license board. We can be there to help him, as we all know he DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG. May 26th at 8:30 am MEDICAL LICENSE BOARD. Speak UP America….Abuse of power is a scary thing. I will update with address shortly.
I’m not sure if the law is different in your state, Pamela, but here is the law as I understand it. Medical records belong to the doctor, not the patient. The patient is always entitled to a copy of the records upon request. So when there is an accusation of criminal activity, the government does have the right, upon subpoena or search warrant, to confiscate any records pertaining to the charge. They do, however, overextend their entitlements, but the search warrant usually covers that by giving them carte blanche at the end with something like:
Anything else that can be used.
It appears the time has come that “WE THE PEOPLE” take a stand. Whatever happened to RIGHT TO PRIVACY. Such as are medical records. Whatever happened to a Dr. deciding the best treatment and medicine for each individual patient. I was, and WOULD be a patient of Dr Cozzi. I was treated with concern, care, respect and [most importantly] KNOWLEDGE. The GOVERNMENT tells the family Dr they can no longer give out pain meds. so you have to go to a pain management DR. which the GOVERNMENT goes after. Is this some new form of population control?!? The real problems lie on the street corners, which no one seems to concern about. Heroin use is on the rise along with it comes HIV, HEP C and who knows what else. New street drugs enter the street market daily. Where is the DEA, law enforcement, GOVERNMENT agencies? Where is the man power taking these DRUG LORDS down, they are the ones that kill. I live in AMERICA where it ONCE WAS SAID was a free country, where the government did what was best for the PEOPLE. No longer do the people count. A system has been put into play that any pain doctor doing his job has a target on his/her back. Looks like a set up. The time has come for WE THE PEOPLE to remind the government that misuse of power will not be tolerated in a free country. I have bare witness to this misuse of power. I was a pt of Doctor M. Cozzi, he was, is the best doctor I have ever had. I am a 3 time Cancer survivor so I have had my share of Dr’s, It was Dr Cozzi that found my advance Lupus, found the reason I was tired, loosing my hair and in so much pain. He found I had a rare form of arthritis. Sorry my OTHER Dr’s did NOT take the time to discover, now my lupus has advanced and the odds are not good. I can not get out of bed due to the pain. My husband has to help uncurl my hands every morning…..so they can label me as a addict cause I do need my pain meds to have some quality of life. The NEWS spoke only to the patients that had been dismissed, rather one sided, spoke to the staff that had been fired for treating patients badly, stealing, failing to do they’re job correctly. If Dr Cozzi raised his voice, it was because he cared and you were not doing what you were told. IT IS TIME ALL THESE RESOURCES BE PUT TO PROPER USE. Get the street drugs off the streets protect our children. When was the last time we saw a big bust of street drugs in the news? Makes you wonder……SPEAK UP AMERICA BEFORE ITS TO LATE!!!!
Amen to all you said. There’s no money in going after street pushers. We have to talk to our government through the ballot box. Thank you for your comments. Let Dr. Cozzi know about this website if you can, so he can write a page about himself, or someone else that knew him.
Also, lupus can be cured through the Seven Steps to Healing. It is a disease of toxicity. Check out the Seven Steps on my other website, http://www.sevenpillarstotalhealth.com.
Lindacheekmd.
My name is Thomas. You requested to speak with someone for the truth about Doctor Cozzi. I was one of Cozzi’s patiants for sometime and if I can help please contact me.
Thank you, Thomas. I would love to speak with you. Would you mind giving me your phone number through the comment section? It does not go public. Thanks.
Thomas you can help. On May 26th Dr Cozzi will stand before the medical license board. We can be there to help him, as we all know he DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG. May 26th at 8:30 am MEDICAL LICENSE BOARD. Speak UP America…abuse of power is a scary thing. I will update with address shortly. WE NEED TO BE THERE TO HELP HIM AFTER-ALL HE WAS THERE TO HELP US.
Thomas there is a way to help below is the info on time and place to help Dr Cozzi
Medical Licensing Board of Indiana
402 West Washington Street, Room W072
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Please join us at above address to support Dr M Cozzi
MAY 26TH AT 8:30AM
I feel, that a system must be put in place to help the patients that, now can not get the medicine that they need. My daughter was a patient of Dr. Cozzi. She got her records and went to her family doctor,the Doctor would only help her with the withdrawals, she got her referral to go to another pain management Doctor. Most will not take Dr. Cozzi patients and those that will have a 2 or 3 month waiting period. Even those that go out of town have a waiting period. Her pain got so great that she went to the hospital to get help, they could not help her or would not, she got to the place where she just wanted to lay down and not wake up again. She had to go to a clinic and say she was a addict, to get some help. She is ashame that she had to admit to something that she is not. She has curvature of the spine and MS, along with 2 bulging disc. We need to have a better system in place for the patients, that are victims in all this, they should come first. I’ve watch my daughter suffer and wish I could take her pain away. I imagine that I’m not the only one that is watching their love one suffer. It is time to help them, and not make them suffer anymore.
Hi Cheryl. Thanks for your personal input. I know the trauma done to your daughter is horrible. If anyway possible, I would love to have someone write up the truth about Dr. Cozzi. If you know of anyone who could do that, please have them contact me. As for your daughter, there are treatments available that can fix the problems she has, even cure the MS. My website, http://www.sevenpillarsoftotalhealth.com is about to go live and has information she should look at.
If you would like to know the truth about Dr Cozzi, I was a patient I would be happy to tell you about him as well as answer all your questions. I also know several more of Dr Cozz’s pts that would love the chance to be heard. As far as the number of pts, he ran such a tight ship, that 1 out of three of the original pts were dismissed due to failing to met recurring conditions. That this year alone he has discharged over 500 due to not meeting state guide lines. I witnesses the one lady that spoke so harshly about him. She had illegal drugs in her and NOT her prescribed medication. I heard her ion the hallway and saw her act out as being escorted out. Yes Dr Cozzi yelled out he was trying to get her out of the office and she called him everything Mr. Every human being can only take so much verbal abuse, myself included. One will raise ones voice in self defense. Yet she accused him of misconduct.
The FORMER employee, well, I was there when she was removed, her purse had Dr Cozzi patients payments in it. As a matter of fact other nurses and office staff monitored her to make sure she REALLY ONE stealing. I wonder if she has a deal worked out for saying the things she said. He did follow thru with jail and prosecuting. GOOD reprting is getting both sides of story through numerous sources and finding the truth in the middle. So sad no one did they’re job. I would be apt to look into a slander suit if only to get the truth out. Dr Cozzi WOULD not give medication without confirming complaints you had to have the test. Try other forms of treatment. Even with medication we still had to try shots, physical therapy and other medications. Not just CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. Compared to other pain Dr, Cozzi saw EVERY ONE of his pts. He did not have a nurse practitioner fill in. Did not see pts. first visit and have NP’s take over after that. Did not go off on vacation and stay out of office. He was in the office if the office was opened, as a matter of fact his personal cell number was posted on the wall so if we had questions and/or problems we had a direct link to reach him. PLEASE tell me in this day and age where do you find a dr who cares about his pts that much, Please email me and I will gladly give you my number as well as several other patients that are wanting to get the truth out.
Help get our Dr back in the office. He did nothing wrong. Below is the info your chance to be heard.
PLEASE HELP THIS INNOCENT MAN!
Medical Licensing Board of Indiana
402 West Washington Street, Room W072
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Please join us at above address to support Dr M Cozzi
MAY 26TH AT 8:30AM
HELP GET OUR DR BACK IN HIS OFFICE.
HELP THIS INNOCENT MAN!
Here’s your chance to be heard!
Medical Licensing Board of Indiana
402 West Washington Street, Room W072
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Please join us at above address to support Dr M Cozzi
MAY 26TH AT 8:30AM