Pubdate: Sat, 08 Nov 2003 Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) Copyright: 2003 Richmond Newspapers Inc. Contact: http://www.timesdispatch.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/365 Author: Associated Press Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/pain+doctor DOCTOR ALLEGED TO BURN RECORDS Federal Probe Sought the Files in Regard to OxyContin Abuse Case ALEXANDRIA - A Northern Virginia doctor has been charged with setting a fire in his office that destroyed records sought for a federal probe into abuse of OxyContin and other pain-relieving drugs. Hazem Garada, who practices internal medicine, was released after posting a $1 million secured cash bond Thursday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. He was charged last week with a felony - destruction of property used in interstate commerce. According to a federal criminal complaint, Anthem Health Plans of Virginia Inc. is investigating Garada's insurance claims. The company sought to review patient files at Garada's office in McLean, and the doctor had been delaying the review, the complaint said. On Oct. 12, a fire in Garada's office burned papers, medical files and portions of telephone books sitting on a table. The complaint, signed by Lt. W. Allen Richardson of the Fairfax County Fire Department, said the blaze was consistent with a fire originating from the center of the table. No one was injured. Garada, who court records show is representing himself, could not be reached yesterday at his home. Thursday, he hung up on a Washington Post reporter. Federal officials were seeking records from Garada in connection with a wide-ranging probe into abuse of OxyContin, a painkiller hailed as a miracle drug by cancer patients and others but with tremendous potential for abuse and lethal overdose. On Sept. 17, the complaint said, an FBI agent served Garada with a subpoena to testify at the trial of Maurice Quiroz, described in court documents as a big supplier of OxyContin to street distributors in Northern Virginia and elsewhere. Quiroz pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and entering the United States after being deported. He faces up to 20 years in prison. In the agent's presence, Garada asked his receptionist to search for records to comply with the subpoena, which also sought all documents relating to Quiroz, records show. Two files were found and were shown to the agent, but Garada refused to hand them over, saying he "needed to prepare notes to be added to the file," the complaint said. After informing Garada that he should not create new documents, the agent left. He returned later and obtained a file on Quiroz that contained several computer-generated pages that had not been in the file earlier, the complaint said. Federal officials would not comment on Garada's relationship to Quiroz or his role in the broader OxyContin probe. More than 40 people have been convicted in the investigation. Another McLean doctor, William E. Hurwitz, was charged in September with drug trafficking resulting in the death of at least three patients, engaging in a criminal enterprise, conspiracy and health care fraud. Attorneys for the pain doctor contend he practices good medicine and that the charges come from overzealous prosecutors. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake