A former Michigan doctor is ordered to pay $705,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office alleging that he prescribed controlled substances without a medical purpose.

According to federal prosecutors, Dr. Shekhar Thakur from Battle Creek agreed to pay $705,000 in exchange for the case to be dismissed and not go to trial. Although Thakur did not admit responsibility, he lost his licenses to practice in 2022 and 2023. In 2020, he surrendered his U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration registration, prohibiting him from prescribing controlled substances.

"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," said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the department filed a lawsuit in July 2024, alleging that Thakur "routinely prescribed highly addictive and dangerous controlled substances, often Schedule II opioids, without objectively verifying the patient's reported ailment through physical examination, medical records, and/or testing."

Federal prosecutors also allege that some of Thakur's patients shared their drugs or sold them.

"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," said Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA's Detroit Field Division.