Former Battle Creek Doctor to Pay Over $700,000 to Resolve Federal Lawsuit for Issuing Improper Drug Prescriptions

GRAND RAPIDS – Former Battle Creek doctor Shekhar Thakur has agreed to pay $705,075 to resolve a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleging that he violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Thakur previously owned and practiced at Parkside Medical in Battle Creek, Michigan.

On July 9, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office sued Thakur for, among other things, regularly prescribing opioids and other controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice. For example, the federal lawsuit alleged that Thakur routinely prescribed highly addictive and dangerous controlled substances, often Schedule II opioids, without objectively verifying the patient’s reported ailment through physical examination, medical records, and/or testing. The United States also alleged that Thakur issued prescriptions despite numerous indications that the patients were abusing or diverting substances, including failed urine drug screens showing that patients were taking illicit drugs, or not taking the medications he prescribed. In addition, the United States alleged that Thakur prescribed dangerous combinations of controlled substances, including opioids and benzodiazepines.

The complaint alleged that this illegitimate prescribing had consequences. It stated, “many patients sought out Thakur to feed their addictions to opioids or benzodiazepines. Some of Thakur’s patients shared their drugs with others or sold them on the street.”

Thakur agreed to pay the over $700,000 settlement in exchange for the government’s agreement to dismiss the case and not prove his conduct in a trial.  He did not admit responsibility for the conduct alleged, however, during 2022 and 2023 he was stripped of his licenses to practice medicine. In 2020, Thakur voluntarily surrendered his DEA registration, thereby losing his ability to prescribe controlled substances. As part of his settlement with the government, Thakur agreed never to apply for reinstatement of his DEA registration.

U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said, “When doctors prescribe drugs without a proper medical purpose, they are drug dealers. This settlement highlights my office’s commitment to hold medical professionals responsible when they cross that line.”

Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Detroit Field Division stated, “Physicians who recklessly prescribe controlled substances endanger patients’ lives and erode communities. We will tirelessly investigate and hold accountable the people responsible for flooding Michigan with illegitimate drugs, to include doctors and healthcare professionals.”

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant United States Attorneys Whitney M. Schnurr and Ryan D. Cobb investigated and litigated this case alongside Stacy Race from DEA’s Office of Chief Counsel. The complaint and other filings can be found on the Court’s online docket under United States v. Thakur, 1-24-cv-00707 (W.D. Mich.).

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.