Lawrence T. Choy, MD, 66, an internist and nephrologist for 37 years, was indicted and arrested on homicide charges from the death of 2 patients, and criminal sale of prescriptions for controlled substances to legitimate patients (which isn’t criminal). But the indictment itself should make these charges be thrown out, IF the courts actually followed the law. It states that he prescribed the medications TO PATIENTS of his medical practice in Flushing, Queens, NY.  That, according to the Controlled Substance Act, makes him exempt from prosecution using the CSA.

However, check out the people and agencies whose jobs, salaries, and bonuses depend on targeting and attacking the next poor elderly, minority physician that is an easy target: James J. Hunt, DEA; Bridget G. Brennan, New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor; New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill; New York City Human Resource Administration (HRA) Commissioner Steven Banks; George P. Beach II, the Superintendent of the New York State Police (NYSP); Angel M. Melendez, HSI, and Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown were all involved in this illegal attack.  A long-term investigation provided jobs and salaries to the DEA, Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s (SNP) Prescription Drug Investigation Unit, the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, U. S. IRS Criminal Investigation Division, ATF, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and HRA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Nassau County Police Department, the Suffolk County Police Department, the Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.  That’s a lot of hungry little birdies waiting for their next meal.

But instead of following the law, the government has turned to pulling a phrase out of laws and then creating a fake “crime” using that phrase. This is now standard practice in the DOJ, and our federal legislative body does nothing about it. It was even pointed out at the Kavanaugh hearings by other legislators that Congress has basically turned over lawmaking to the agencies. And the agencies basically ignore the law and charge innocent people with made-up crimes because that’s what maintains their salaries.  This has to stop. Enough lives have been ruined over the last 20 years by this gross government overreach into medicine and other completely innocent businesses and citizens’ lives.

The phrase being uses against Dr. Choy, as well as all other doctors, is the phrase claiming that his prescriptions were “for no legitimate medical purpose”.  That is because the CSA states unequivocally that if a doctor prescribes a controlled substance “for a legitimate medical purpose” that he is exempt from prosecution.  Also in statute §802 (56)(c), it states that only the DOCTOR can determine legitimate medical purpose.  So that means, that even if he makes that decision in his head, and doesn’t even write it down on the chart, it is still legal and the prescription is legitimate. But that doesn’t stop the US government.

The indictment contains a total of 231 counts:

2: Manslaughter in the Second Degree
9: Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree
220: Criminal Sale of a Prescription for a Controlled Substance.

Dr. Choy’s office in Flushing was raided in March, 2016. He gave up his practice in 2017 and moved to Sheboygan, Wis. He was arrested by DEA agents there on March 29, 2018 but was released on bail and returned to New York.

Let’s look at what he is being charged with. The charges relate to 14 patients, three of whom died.  The reason given for the charges is that the patients were prescribed both opioids and benzodiazepines. This has become the latest “fake crime” of the government. Benzos and opioids have been prescribed together, even with muscle relaxers, safely for 30+ years. But suddenly, it is now criminal, because it often forces the doctor to accept a plea, even though he isn’t guilty of committing a crime. This tactic was exposed by Sidney Powell in Licensed to Lie. Even the nine counts of “reckless endangerment” for “creating a substantial risk of serious physical injury to patients” is illegal government overreach into doctors’ medical decision-making.

The indictment states the usual reasons for creating the “crime” of doing his job by stating that the patient examinations were inadequate, the patient complaints weren’t verified, and the dosages and number of pills were too high and in potentially lethal combinations. None of these “crimes” are actually supported by any law, as previously stated. Again, the law states that only the doctor can determine what is legitimate, and that records and exams are purely at the doctor’s discretion. Pain is a subjective condition. There is very little objective testing that “proves” a patient’s complaint of pain is real or fake. The main factor in a doctor/patient relationship is that of trust. These attacks on doctors is destroying the doctor/patient relationship. Patients are liars, cheats, and drug abusers until proven otherwise.  I don’t know about you, but if I see a doctor because I am having pain, I don’t want him to automatically assume I am just there to get pills to abuse. When that becomes the state of affairs in a doctor’s office, the doctor needs to find another career. The government is causing this breakdown of a very important relationship, required to promote healing.

For example, the government charges that Choy simultaneously prescribed individual patients a trio of drugs including one or more opioids, a benzodiazepine (such as Xanax or Klonopin) and a muscle relaxant (such as Soma). Just like the media and government have created propaganda surrounding the term “pill mill”, now they call this group of medications the “Holy Trinity” because some have abused this combo.

Another problem is that Dr. Choy is being held to a created government standard, after the fact of the time these prescriptions were written.  Doctors, take heed. You could be next, charged with crimes based on government overreach that hasn’t even happened yet.

The investigation on Dr. Choy was from 2012-2016. But he is being held criminally to the CDC guidelines of a maximum dose of 90 MME released in March, 2016. Even though the CDC and government agencies tell us that these are just “guidelines” and not “law”, when you are charged criminally for not following them, what is the difference?

All of the counts of criminal sale of prescriptions for controlled substances were for actual patients, and are therefore exempt from prosecution. But to cover their illegal use of the Controlled Substance Act against doctors because the CSA was written to go after illegal offshore drug cartels, DEA Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt compares doctors to drug kingpins and traffickers. Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill blames doctors for the “epidemic”, when in reality it is the government attacks on legitimate, caring physicians such as Dr. Choy who are to blame.

“The NYPD and our partner agencies are committed to fighting this national crisis through aggressive investigation and prosecution of doctors.”

Right…because “that’s where the money is and the guns aren’t” (per a former US Attorney).

Are you tired of government overreach into areas where they have no jurisdiction?  Are you aware that you could be the next pain patient that can’t find relief? Then join DoctorsofCourage so that we can get the word out about what the government is doing.

Addendum

Dr. Choy took a plea agreement in June, 2019 and was sentenced to 7 years in New York state prison.

To end these attacks, restore pain management, and provide compensation to all the families that have been destroyed by government overreach, we must get the Controlled Substance Act repealed.  Join Doctorsofcourage to get that done. Learn what we teach and spread the word.  NO DRUG CAUSES ADDICTION!! Let’s end the War on Drugs, Doctors and Pain Patients, end the black market, solve the southern border crisis, and restore proper pain management.  It CAN be done! 

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.