A Clinton County physician was charged last week by grand jury indictment with the illegal distribution of controlled substances which resulted in the deaths of three patients, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.

Michael L. Cummings, 61, of Albany, was charged with 18 counts of knowingly and intentionally dispensing Schedule II, Schedule III, and Schedule IV controlled substances (pain killers) to six patients, without a medical purpose and outside the course of professional medical practice, and resulting in the deaths of three patients.

According to the indictment, Cummings allegedly began prescribing the controlled substances to patients in Clinton County, without a medical purpose and outside the course of professional medical practice in May of 2012, and continued through March of 2014.

The indictment did not identify by full name who the three victims were, but instead used a “redacted” style to identify the victims only by initials, S.F., S.C., and P.G., respectively

The indictment alleges that on March 25, 2014, Cummings dispensed and distributed, 120 Oxycodone 20 mg pills and 60 Oxycontin 40 mg pills, Schedule II controlled substances, without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional medical practice, which resulted in the serious bodily injury and death of S.F., on or about April 7, 2014.

On February 10, 2014, Cummings is charged with dispensing and distributing hydrocodone/acetaminophen 325 mg/10 mg pills, a Schedule III controlled substance, to S.C., without a legitimate medical purpose, and outside the course of professional medical practice, resulting in the serious bodily injury and death of S.C. on or about April 2, 2014.

On May 19, 2014, Cummings dispensed and distributed, 120 hydrocodone/acetaminophen 325 mg/10 mg pills, a Schedule III controlled substance, to P.G., without a legitimate medical purpose, and outside the course of professional medical practice, resulting in the serious bodily injury and death of P.G. on or about June 3, 2014.

The investigation has been ongoing for at least two years.

In May, 2015, authorities executed a search warrant at the location of Cummings’ practice located in the Twin Lakes Medical Arts facility.

At that time, Stephanie Collins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office/Western District Kentucky, confirmed to the Clinton County News that at least two law enforcement agencies were involved in the search warrant.

“I can confirm that a search warrant was executed at the Twin Lakes Medical Center last week and that the two investigative agencies are the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations) and KSP (Kentucky State Police),” Collins said in an email statement in early May, 2015.

She did not, at that time, confirm what materials the search warrant involved.

If convicted at trial, Cummings could be sentenced to no less than 20 years in prison and up to and including a term of life in prison, fined $3,250,000 and serve a five-year period of supervised release.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Weiser and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Kentucky State Police Drug Enforcement/Special Investigations West Branch.

The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty