Attorney General Bonta Announces Arrest of Santa Clara Doctor for Illegal Opioid Prescription Scheme

SANTA CLARA — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the arrest of and filing of charges against Dr. Arash Padidar, a Santa Clara County doctor accused of illegally prescribing opioids to patients. The arrest and charges are the result of an investigation into an alleged two-years-long illegal prescription scheme by the California Department of Justice (DOJ). Padidar was arrested today by DOJ agents and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail.
 
"Doctors are trusted with the immense responsibility of protecting our health and our lives," said Attorney General Bonta. "When a bad actor exploits their position for personal gain, they not only shatter our trust, they harm vulnerable patients. Let today’s arrest serve as a warning: The California Department of Justice will not tolerate abuses of power and will hold perpetrators accountable." 
 
“This investigation focused on a trusted member of the medical community who allegedly utilized forgery and fraud to obtain highly addictive opioids for his own personal benefit,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark. “Healthcare professionals have a duty to prescribe controlled substances in a manner that ensures the well-being of the public. DEA will continue to keep communities safe and healthy by holding those accountable who put them in harm’s way. I want to thank CA DOJ Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse and DEA Diversion for their exceptional work in this investigation.”
 
DOJ investigators found that Padidar’s illegal prescription scheme was carried out between October 2018 and October 2020 and involved the highly addictive pain medication Norco. He is facing charges on seven felony counts, including for obtaining opioids by fraud, deceit and misrepresentation, issuing prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose, forging and issuing a prescription, unlawful use of personal information and conspiracy to commit a crime.
 
The investigation and arrest were conducted by DOJ’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse (DMFEA), which was alerted to the alleged crimes by the DEA.
 
It is important to note that criminal charges are only allegations against a person. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.
 
DMFEA protects Californians by investigating and prosecuting those who defraud the Medi-Cal program as well as those who commit elder abuse. These investigations are made possible only through the coordination and collaboration of governmental agencies, as well as the critical help from whistleblowers who report incidences of abuse or Medi-Cal fraud at oag.ca.gov/dmfea/reporting.
 
DMFEA receives 75% of its funding from HHS under a grant award totaling $53,792,132 for federal fiscal year 2022-2023. The remaining 25% is funded by the State of California. The federal fiscal year is defined as through September 30, 2023.
 
A copy of the criminal complaint can be found here.