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No jail time for accused 'pill mill' doctor following plea deal

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County doctor who was arrested on charges of drug trafficking during a pill mill roundup was sentenced Wednesday morning.

Michael Moyer was arrested in 2010 when he was accused of doling out high quantities of oxycodone.

But he made a plea deal in order to have the charges reduced. Moyer pleaded guilty to racketeering and will not spend any time behind bars after being sentenced to 15 years of supervised probation.

In fact, Moyer will still be able to prescribe medications to patients.

He was also ordered to pay $26,000 in fines and court fees, along with 200 hours of community service. He would have faced 25 years in prison for each of the several trafficking charges had the case gone to trial.

While Moyer will still be allowed to work as a doctor and prescribe medications, he will have to keep a log of the drugs and who he gives them to. That will be monitored by his probation officer.

However, Moyer is not allowed to work for pain management clinics. That means any facility where 50 percent or more of the patients who go there are there for pain management, but if it doesn't fit that definition, he would still be able to practice.

Moyer's attorney, Michael Lafay, said he thinks they could've won at trial, but didn't want to take the chance.

Lafay said he wanted the case thrown out to begin with.

“The confidential informant tried to use her sexual wiles, if you will, to further persuade the doctor," said Lafay.

Moyer has 30 days to appeal Wednesday's sentencing.

Lafay said he is not sure whether Moyer plans to continue to practice medicine.