Former Battle Creek physician Shekhar Thakur has agreed to pay $705,075 to settle a federal lawsuit that accused him of violating the Controlled Substances Act. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan alleged that Thakur, who previously owned and practiced at Parkside Medical in Battle Creek, regularly prescribed opioids and other controlled substances without legitimate medical reasons and outside accepted medical practices.
The complaint filed on July 9, 2024, stated that Thakur often prescribed Schedule II opioids without verifying patients’ reported ailments through physical examinations, medical records, or testing. Authorities also claimed he continued prescribing medications despite signs that patients were abusing or diverting them. This included failed urine drug screens indicating use of illicit drugs or non-compliance with prescribed medications. The government further alleged that Thakur wrote prescriptions for dangerous combinations of drugs such as opioids and benzodiazepines.
According to the complaint: “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 settlement in exchange for dismissal of the case without a trial and did not admit responsibility for the alleged conduct. He lost his licenses to practice medicine during 2022 and 2023 and voluntarily surrendered his DEA registration in 2020, forfeiting his ability to prescribe controlled substances. As part of the agreement, he also consented never to reapply for DEA registration.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey commented: “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 added: “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 U.S. Attorney’s Office coordinated with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in resolving this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Whitney M. Schnurr and Ryan D. Cobb worked on the case along with Stacy Race from DEA’s Office of Chief Counsel.
The court filings related to this case are available under United States v. Thakur, 1-24-cv-00707 (W.D. Mich.). Officials noted that all claims resolved by this settlement remain allegations only; there has been no finding of liability.
