Boise Doctor Charged With Controlled Substance Delivery

BOISE – Michael Minas, 49, of Boise, Idaho, appeared today in federal court in Boise on an indictment charging him with seventeen counts of distributing a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. He was arrested yesterday morning outside of his medical practice in Eagle. Trial is set for August 12, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.

The indictment alleges that Minas distributed oxycodone 30 mg and Oxycontin 80 mg, both Schedule II controlled substances, and diazepam, a Schedule IV controlled substance, and that he did so outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

The court released Minas until trial and ordered him to follow several specific conditions while on release. Pending trial, Minas will be prohibited from writing prescriptions and will not engage in the practice of medicine except for the limited purpose of transferring patient records so that patients may see other providers. He also must relinquish any prescription pads in his possession. Minas will be subject to home detention and electronic monitoring and will be allowed in the community only for limited purposes and with the pre-approval of his pre-trial services officer.

The charge of distributing a controlled substance is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00 and at least three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led Tactical Diversion Squad which is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, Idaho State Police, Meridian Police Department, Nampa Police Department and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.