Cops find gold bars while busting Florida doctor for allegedly writing phony prescriptions

Florida doctor accused of writing and selling prescriptions for codeine and oxycodone (Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – A Pinellas County doctor is facing trafficking charges for allegedly writing and selling prescriptions for codeine and oxycodone.

According to detectives, Dr. Neelam Uppal, 62, sold more than 550 prescriptions of promethazine codeine syrup and oxycodone beginning Jan. 2022.

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During an investigation, undercover detectives said Uppal prescribed the drugs without seeing or speaking to them.

Detectives said they received the prescriptions after paying $650 cash for each promethazine codeine syrup prescription and $450 cash for each oxycodone prescription.

According to an arrest report, Uppal primarily conducted business from her home and while serving a search warrant last week, two people arrived to purchase fraudulent prescriptions.

During the search, detectives said they found multiple prescription pads, nearly $2 million in US currency, gold bars and jewelry valued at $175,000.

Approximately $175,000 in gold bars and jewelry confiscated from Florida doctor accused of selling prescriptions for codeine and oxycodone. (Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)

Uppal was charged with three counts of trafficking codeine and three counts of trafficking oxycodone. She was taken into custody and transported to the Pinellas County Jail.


About the Author
Veronica Crespo headshot

Veronica Crespo writes for Local10.com and also oversees the Español section of the website. Born and raised in Miami, she graduated from the University of Miami, where she studied broadcast journalism and Spanish.

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