U.S. Department
of Justice
Pending Criminal Division Cases
United States v. Michael Fletcher
Court Docket No.: 2:21-cr-63 (E.D. Kentucky)
Court Assigned: This case is assigned to Magistrate Judge Candace J. Smith, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Courthouse, 35 W. 5th Street, Covington, KY 41011. Unless noted in an update below, all court events will take place at this location.
Latest Update:
On May 9, 2025, defendant Michael Fletcher was sentenced to 3 years of probation.
On July 19, 2024, following a bench trial, defendant Michael Fletcher was found guilty of three counts of distribution of oxycodone hydrochloride.
Criminal Charges: According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Fletcher, 61, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a physician at Interventional Pain Specialists (IPS) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, and a board member of the KBML. In his role at the KBML, Fletcher oversaw disciplinary proceedings against physicians, including those who improperly prescribed controlled substances. However, Fletcher was also illegally prescribing opioids to IPS patients, including some who had tested positive for hard street drugs like cocaine and heroin, in part so he could perform and bill for lucrative and often medically unnecessary procedures on the same patients. Trial evidence showed that seven IPS patients died of drug-related complications shortly after being prescribed opioids by Fletcher.
For more information about the charges in this case, please see below:
Because of the court’s schedule, hearing dates could change on very short notice. If you plan on attending, you may want to contact the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.go