Investigators raid pain clinic, seize patient records

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A West Palm Beach doctor named Dr. John Christensen is under investigation following a raid on  his pain clinics and home.  In all, investigators raided four locations on Thursday. 

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, or FDLE, says Dr. Christensen has not been arrested or charged with any crime.  However, because of his multi-agency investigation, Florida's Department of Law Enforcement, or FDLE, says Dr. Christensen has not been arrested or charged with any crime.  However, because of this multi-agency investigation, the state's Department of Health has now suspended Dr. Christensen's license to practice as a doctor and chiropractor. 

Dr. Christensen's business is called the A1A Health and Wellness Clinic.  But instead of patients, this place was flooded with Florida Department of Law Enforcement, or FDLE, agents and other investigators.  

They were seizing patient records and computer hard drives.    A man who doesn't want to be identified says he always thought something seemed suspicious during his visits to the clinic.  He said, "I live in the area and I've been there a couple of times. They would only accept cash. I was wondering why they would only accept cash. That seems kind of strange."

Mike Driscoll, the FDLE Resident Agent in Charge, said the business accepted more than just cash.  Investigators are now looking at Dr. John Christensen's way of doing business.  

Driscoll says, "It was brought to our attention that possibly other illegal activities were occurring involving the prescription of narcotics - pain medication and so forth."

Attorney David Spicer has represented three clients who settled wrongful death lawsuits against Dr. Christensen. He claims Dr. Christensen was running a pill mill. 

Spicer says the parents of three dead young men, one man who left two young boys,  all hoped this day would come and Dr. Christensen would be called to task by the Board of Medicine.

We approached an employee of Dr. Christensen's pain clinic who did not want to give us a comment.  All the while, a man named Brian Hughes watched the raid from a distance.  

Hughes says, "I'm a member of Families Anonymous and there's a lot of concern out here with what goes on with pill pushers. That's why I'm here."

Florida's Department of Health just released the details of the emergency suspension order against Dr. Christensen. According to the document, it claims that Dr. Christensen sold illegal prescription drugs between May of 2008 and June of this year, without performing any medical exams on the patients receiving the medications.  It also claims Dr. Christensen committed insurance fraud.