A Franklin, Kentucky, physician pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge H. Brent Brennenstuhl to charges of the illegal distribution of controlled substances by way of prescribing opiate pain medications outside of the course of professional medical practice and without a legitimate medial purpose, announced U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.

According to the plea agreement, Roy D. Reynolds, age 66, was a doctor practicing in Franklin, Kentucky, in Simpson County during the time of the illegal activity. Dr. Reynolds was the treating physician to patients known as J.H. and J.R. at the time of their deaths. According to autopsies, both patients died from pharmaceutical overdoses.

According to information in the plea agreement, J.H. had a history of illegal drug usage and psychiatric issues which were documented in his patient charts.  Further, this patient had a KASPER report also suggesting opiate abuse and diversion.  Although J.H. made various somatic complaints, Dr. Reynolds never objectively documented a legitimate source of pain. Also, an opiate centric treatment plan was contraindicated because of risk factors inherent with a history of drug abuse.

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Nonetheless, Dr. Reynolds admitted to placing J.H. on a regimen of chronic opiate therapy, and did not monitor or enforce patient accountability, (did not perform urine screens or pill counts), and did not attempt to wean J.H. off opiates.  Between February 2009 and April 2011, Dr. Reynolds repeatedly prescribed oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, and Xanax, a Schedule IV controlled substance, to J.H. outside the course of professional medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.

On April 3, 2011, J.H. died at age 46 of a pharmaceutical overdose, and an autopsy revealed oxycodone at five (5) times the upper therapeutic concentration.  Two days prior to his death, Dr. Reynolds prescribed J.H. 180 oxycodone pills and 90 Xanax pills.

J.R. was Dr. Reynolds’s patient between July 2010 and December 2011.  J.R. presented vague complaints of knee, neck and shoulder pain, but MRI’s and physical examinations failed to identify any significant pathologies.  A legitimate pain diagnosis was never established, and J.R.’s patient records reflect a history of alcohol abuse, doctor shopping, drug dependency, and non-compliance.  Controlled substances were contraindicated, but Dr. Reynolds repeatedly prescribed hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance at the time, and Xanax and clonazepam, Schedule IV controlled substances, outside the course of professional medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.  On December 30, 2011, J.R. died at age 41 of a pharmaceutical overdose, and an autopsy revealed hydrocodone at thirty (30) times the upper therapeutic concentration.

If convicted at trial, Reynolds could have been sentenced to no more than 30 years in prison, followed by a three year period of supervised release and fined $1.5 million. Reynolds will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Stivers in Bowling Green.

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.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is receiving an increase in complaints related to technical support scams, where the subject claims to be an employee (or an affiliate) of a major computer software or security company offering technical support to the victim. Recent complaints indicate some subjects are claiming to be support for cable and Internet companies to offer assistance with digital cable boxes and connections, modems, and routers. The subject claims the company has received notifications of errors, viruses, or security issues from the victim’s internet connection. Subjects are also claiming to work on behalf of government agencies to resolve computer viruses and threats from possible foreign countries or terrorist organizations. From January 1, 2016, through April 30, 2016, the IC3 received 3,668 complaints with adjusted losses of $2,268,982.

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Technical Details

Initial contact with the victims occurs by different methods. Any electronic device with Internet capabilities can be affected.

1. Telephone: This is the traditional contact method. Victims receive a “cold” call from a person who claims the victim’s computer is sending error messages and numerous viruses were detected. Victims report the subjects have strong foreign accents.
2. Pop-up message: The victim receives an on-screen pop-up message claiming viruses are attacking the device. The message includes a phone number to call to receive assistance.
3. Locked screen on a device (Blue Screen of Death – BSOD): Victims report receiving a frozen, locked screen with a phone number and instructions to contact a (phony) tech support company. Some victims report being redirected to alternate websites before the BSOD occurs. This has been particularly noticed when the victim was accessing social media and financial websites.
4. Pop-up messages and locked screens are sometimes accompanied by a recorded, verbal message to contact a phone number for assistance.

Once the phony tech support company/representative makes verbal contact with the victim, the subject tries to convince the victim to provide remote access to their device.

If the device is mobile (a tablet, smart phone, etc.), the subject often instructs the victim to connect the device to a computer to be fixed. Once the subject is remotely connected to the device, they claim to have found multiple viruses, malware, and/or scareware that can be removed for a fee. Fees are collected via a personal debit or credit card, electronic check, wire transfer, or prepaid card. A few instances have occurred in which the victim paid by personal check.

Variations and Trends

An increasingly reported variation of the scam occurs when the subject contacts the victim offering a refund for tech support services previously rendered because the company has closed.

The victim is convinced to allow the subject access to their device and to log onto their online bank account to process the refund. The subject then has control of the victim’s device and bank account. With this access, the subject appears to have “mistakenly” refunded too much money to the victim’s account, and requests the victim wire the difference back to the subject company. In reality, the subject transferred funds among the victim’s own accounts (checking, savings, retirement, etc.) to make it appear as though funds were deposited. The victim wires their own money back to the company, not finding out until later that the funds came from one of their own accounts. The refunding and wiring process can occur multiple times, which results in the victim losing thousands of dollars.

Victims are increasingly reporting subjects are becoming hostile, abusive, and utilizing foul language and threats when being challenged by victims.

Additional Threats

The tech support scam is an attempt by subjects to gain access to victim devices. However, more can happen once a subject is given access to the device. For example:

• The subject takes control of the victim’s device and/or bank account, and will not release control until the victim pays a ransom.
• The subject can access computer files that may contain financial accounts, passwords, and personal data (health records, social security numbers, etc.).
• The subject may intentionally install viruses on the device.
• The subject threatens to destroy the victim’s computer or continues to call in a harassing manner.

Defense and Mitigation

• Recognize the attempt and cease all communication with the subject.
• Resist the pressure to act quickly. The subjects will urge the victim to fast action in order to protect their device. The subjects create a sense of urgency to produce fear and lure the victim into immediate action.
• Do not give unknown, unverified persons remote access to devices or accounts. A legitimate software or security company will not directly contact individuals unless the contact is initiated by the customer.
• Ensure all computer anti-virus, security, and malware protection is up to date. Some victims report their anti-virus software provided warnings prior to the attempt.
• If a victim receives a pop-up or locked screen, shut down the device immediately. Victims report that shutting down the device and waiting a short time to restart usually removes the pop-up or screen lock.
• Should a subject gain access to a device or an account, victims should take precautions to protect their identity, immediately contact their financial institutions to place protection on their accounts, and monitor their accounts and personal information for suspicious activity.

Filing a Complaint

Individuals who believe they may be a victim of an online scam (regardless of dollar amount) can file a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov.

To report tech support scams, please be as descriptive as possible in the complaint including:

1. Name of the subject and company.
2. Phone numbers and email addresses used by the subject.
3. Websites used by the subject company.
4. Account names and numbers and financial institutions that received any funds (e.g., wire transfers, prepaid card payments).
5. Description of interaction with the subject.

Complainants are also encouraged to keep all original documentation, emails, faxes, and logs of all communications.

Because scams and fraudulent websites appear very quickly, individuals are encouraged to report possible Internet scams and fraudulent websites by filing a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov. To view previously released PSAs and Scam Alerts, visit the IC3 Press Room at www.ic3.gov/media/default.aspx.

A 30-year-old man with specials needs and who requires medication has been missing since May 26 and police are asking for help to find him.

Keon McCreary was with his mother and wandered away, last seen in the area of 60th and Woodland Avenue in Philadelphia.

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McCreary has schizophrenia, a mild intellectual disability and has the tendency to wander.

Authorities said he can provide his name, date of birth and Social Security number, but nothing else. He requires daily medication, which he has not had for more than five days.

He was not in possession of any identification or a cell phone.

McCreary is described as a black male, 5-feet, 3-inches tall and 110 pounds with a dark complexion and close-cropped hair. He was last seen wearing a beige T-shirt with black stripes, dark blue jeans and black and white Puma sneakers.

A missing person’s report was filed information has been entered into the National Crime Information Center.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Yeadon police Detective Jay Houghton at 610-622-1500, 610-622-7835 or jhoughton@yeadonpd.org.

A man who police say was in the truck with the suspect who shot a Madison County deputy has been charged in connection to the initial traffic stop.

According to Kentucky State Police, Joseph Curtis was in the truck with suspect Daniel Pigg when Madison County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Crutcher pulled them over.

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KSP says that Pigg, who was driving the vehicle, pulled into his own driveway and fled. Crutcher and Pigg exchanged gunfire. Pigg was killed and Deputy Crutcher sustained non life-threatening injuries.

According to his arrest citation, after hearing several shots fired, Curtis fled the scene and ran to a nearby residence. Kentucky State Police say that Curtis changed his clothes and then denied being present at the shooting.

Curtis has been charged with fleeing and evading. He denied an interview request from LEX 18.

Two people had to be extricated after an accident on Winchester Road.

It happened near the intersection of Midland and Winchester.  Lexington fire says that a Nissan Altima crashed into a box truck. The two occupants of that vehicle had to be extricated.

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They were taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. The box truck driver was fine but the truck did have to be towed.

The road has since reopened.

Each year, criminal actors target US persons and visa holders for Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF). SIRF is defined as the fraudulent acquisition and use of the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of US persons or visa holders to file tax returns. The fraudulent tax returns are sent to bank accounts or pre-paid cards that are held under their control. SIRF is relatively easy to commit and extremely lucrative for criminal actors. While all U.S. taxpayers are susceptible to SIRF, over the past year, criminal actors have targeted specific portions of the population, including: temporary visa holders, the homeless, prisoners, the deceased, low-income individuals, children, senior citizens, and military personnel deployed overseas. This may be due to the perception by criminal actors that these individuals are less likely to be aware of or receive notification that their identity has been stolen.

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After criminal actors steal PII, they use corrupt tax preparation companies or online tax software to file fraudulent tax returns with the stolen identity information at the federal and state level. The only legitimate information needed to file a fraudulent tax return is a name and social security number. This information is obtained by criminal actors through a variety of techniques, including computer intrusions, the online purchase of stolen PII, the physical theft of data from individuals or third parties, the impersonation of government officials through both phishing and cold-calling techniques, the exploitation of PII obtained through one’s place of employment, the theft of electronic medical records, and searching multiple publicly available Web sites and social media. After the criminal actors electronically file fraudulent tax returns, they use pre-paid debit cards or bank accounts under their control to route fraudulent returns. The balances on the pre-paid cards and bank accounts are depleted shortly after the tax refund is issued.

Additionally, investigative information shows cyber criminals compromised legitimate online tax software accounts during the 2015 tax season. Cyber criminals modified victims’ online tax software account information, diverting tax refunds to bank accounts or pre-paid cards under their control.

Many victims of SIRF do not know they have been targeted until they try to file their legitimate tax return. Many also receive notifications in the mail that their returns are being audited or are under review before they have even filed their tax returns.

If you believe you are a victim of SIRF, contact your local FBI or IRS field office. You may consult www.identitytheft.gov which can help you report and recover from identity theft. Additional resources are available at https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Identity-Protection.

Tips to protect yourself:

• File tax returns as early as possible.

• Monitor your bank account statements regularly, as well and as your credit report at least once a year for any fraudulent activity.

• Report unauthorized transactions to your bank or credit card provider as soon as possible.

• Be cautious of telephone calls or e-mails that require you to provide your personal information, especially your birth date or social security number. If you are in doubt, do not provide the requested information.

• Do not open e-mail or attachments from unknown individuals. Additionally, do not click on links embedded in e-mails from unknown individuals.

• Never provide personal information of any sort via e-mail. Be aware, many e-mails requesting your personal information appear to be legitimate.

• If you use online tax services, ensure your bank account is accurately listed before and after you file your tax return.

• Ensure sensitive information is permanently removed from online tax software accounts that are no longer being used. Allowing online accounts to become dormant can be risky and make you more susceptible to tax fraud schemes.

• If you feel you are a victim, immediately contact the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit records.

• If you are a victim, file an Identity Theft Affidavit (IRS Form 14039). This form is available for download from www.identitytheft.gov.