The owner of a now defunct South Florida pain clinic and a former physician of the clinic are facing multiple charges stemming from the trafficking of Oxycodone.
Christian Spaw, 42, former owner of All Family Medical, was arrested and face racketeering, trafficking, conspiracy and manslaughter charges in connection with drug sales and purchases made while operating the Broward County pill mill.
The arrest comes after a lengthy federal and state investigation into several Pain clinics in South Florida.
"Certainly these are serious charges but they arise under some peculiar circumstances," said attorney Mike Dutko.
The initial charges stem back to 2012, involving a number of offenses including trafficking Oxycodone.
But, on Thursday Spaw, with his attorney by his side, turned himself into custody after the DEA issued a warrant for his arrest. His most recent charge being manslaughter.
The charges in the 30 plus page arrest warrant outline how Spaw allegedly conspired to engage in racketeering, and trafficking Oxycodone.
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He reportedly worked as a medical administrator in his family's business that once operated at a Clinic in a North Lauderdale plaza.
It was while at that clinic that one of the patrons reportedly bought several drugs from the business. And days later suffered from cardiac arrest and died.
According to an autopsy it was the Broward medical examiners opinion that he "died as a result of acute combined drug toxicity."
And his family reported he was taking Xanax and Oxycodone.
"There's going to be insufficient factual bases to really support a charge of manslaughter," Dutko said.
"What has traditionally for three years now been a pretty complicated case, has now become a pretty chaotic and complicated case but we will sort it out and be prepared to defend those charges."
Also arrested on similar charges was Dr. Richard Vitalis who is the former physician at the clinic. He now lives in Volusia county and will be booked in the Volusia county jail.
