The Pharmacy Counter Has a Diversion Risk
When the person filling controlled substance scripts is also accused of taking them
A Kansas pharmacist has been indicted on a federal charge related to the alleged diversion of controlled substances from his employer.
Logan Marshall Abbott, 33, of Maize, Kansas, was indicted March 30 on one count of acquiring a controlled substance by deception or subterfuge. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Abbott is accused of using his position as a pharmacist to illegally obtain amphetamine (Adderall), lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and oxycodone from his employer without authorization.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting.
Abbott has not been convicted. The indictment contains allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Source: DEA St. Louis Division Press Release, March 30, 2026. U.S. v. Abbott, D. Kan.
$46M and 6 Years: Telemedicine Fraud Scheme
How one company exploited Medicare billing pathways
A telemedicine company owner has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a Medicare fraud scheme involving at least $46.2 million in claims over more than six years.
Christopher Harwood, 43, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, owner of TelevisitMD, pleaded guilty March 27 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Medicare paid $17.9 million on those claims, and Harwood personally received more than $10.4 million. He has agreed to pay $17.9 million in restitution and faces up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
Court documents describe a multi-step operation built on patient recruitment, clinical sign-off, and downstream billing. Harwood and his co-conspirators targeted Medicare patients through aggressive telemarketing campaigns, inducing them to accept orthotic braces and genetic tests they did not need. He paid doctors to approve orders for these items, often without establishing legitimate physician-patient relationships or conducting meaningful interactions.
Those signed orders were then sold to durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, laboratories, and marketers participating in the scheme. In addition, Harwood owned and operated multiple DME supply companies that billed Medicare directly for orthotic braces that patients neither wanted nor needed.
The Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program has charged more than 6,200 defendants responsible for over $45 billion in billings since 2007.
The case also reflects a broader regulatory tension: while telemedicine has expanded access to care, its remote and high-volume nature can create vulnerabilities when oversight is limited.
The Justice Department noted that Harwood “paid doctors to approve orders for these braces and genetic tests,” often without meaningful interaction with patients.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs Press Release No. 26-296, March 27, 2026. United States v. Harwood, S.D. Fla.