Suspended Nurse Practitioner Indicted for Illegal Prescriptions

PITTSBURGH, PA - A suspended nurse practitioner has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of dispensing and distributing controlled substances and conspiring to distribute and dispense controlled substances, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The 294-count Indictment, returned on Feb. 5, named Larry J. Goisse, Jr. 34, as the sole defendant.

According to information previously provided to the court, Goisse is a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner who owns and operates Prime Psychiatric Care, LLC, which has two offices in Pittsburgh. In July of 2018, Goisse’s Pennsylvania state medical licenses were revoked by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, meaning he does not have the legal authority to authorize prescriptions for controlled substances. The indictment alleges that on 294 occasions, Goisse prescribed Adderall after his nursing licenses had been suspended.

"In addition to being illegal, prescribing controlled substances without a license raises all kinds of red flags," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "We moved quickly to ensure the safety of the public but our investigation of this matter continues."

The law provides for a maximum per count sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The investigation leading to the filing of charges in these cases was conducted by the Western Pennsylvania Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit (OFADU). The Western Pennsylvania OFADU, led by federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, combines the expertise and resources of federal and state law enforcement to address the role played by unethical medical professionals in the opioid epidemic. This unit has investigated and prosecuted more corrupt health care professionals than any other U.S. Attorney’s Office in the country.

The agencies which comprise the Western Pennsylvania OFADU include: Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General – Bureau of Narcotic Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office – Criminal Division, Civil Division and Asset Forfeiture Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General, Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Office of Inspector General and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Licensing.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.