Doctor, 79, arrested in illegal prescription case

Thursday, Feb. 10, 2000 | 10:52 a.m.

A 79-year-old Las Vegas doctor and another man were arrested Tuesday in connection with the illegal distribution of prescription drugs, according to the Nevada Division of Investigation.

Dr. Gabriel D. Cacuci and Ahmad Sobhani were charged with illegally prescribing controlled substances and with maintaining a place for the purpose of unlawful sale of a controlled substance.

Investigators accused Sobhani, who promoted himself as "Professor O Abd-Baha, Shaw of Iran" in a newspaper advertisement, would complete a brief medical questionnaire on his customers and charge them $80. Sobhani is not a licensed physician or pharmacist, investigators said.

Cacuci is accused of phoning in the prescriptions to any one of several local pharmacies, and Sobhani is accused of then contacting the customer with the information where the prescription was placed.

Investigators say they made six undercover buys through Sobhani since October and at no time met with Cacuci for a physical exam for the prescriptions the doctor wrote.

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