Owner of Winter Garden pain clinic accused of coercing doctor to write prescriptions

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — The owner of a pain clinic in Winter Garden was arrested Thursday morning on a long list of charges, according to investigators.

Vincent Goodwin was taken into custody after agents from the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Health served a search warrant at his business.

Agents served the warrant at Pain Care Place of Central Florida on Dillard Street.

According to MBI representatives, Goodwin is accused of using force, coercion and threats to get Dr. Rica Bogdany to illegally write 76 prescriptions.

Investigators said more than 10,000 controlled substance prescription pills were illegally sold.

According to investigators, Goodwin, and others, trafficked oxycodone tablets, Morphine Sulfate tablets, Hydromorphone along with thousands of other schedule II controlled substances.

Goodwin denied any claims that he trafficked the drugs.

Agents said a tip from the health department labeled the business as an overprescribing clinic, but it was after Dr. Rica Bogdany told police Goodwin was forcing her to prescribe pain killers that agents arrested him.

“The doctor actually came forward to law enforcement and said that this was going on. She was being coerced, forced to do this type of over-prescribing,” said Lt. Samuel Riggi Jr.

MBI agents said Goodwin, who was not a physician at the clinic, forced the doctor to write the illegal prescriptions by threatening not to pay her, report her to the health Department, and at time, refused to pay her assistants who worked in the office.

“She felt that she had nowhere to go, so she turned to law enforcement,” Riggi said.

Channel 9’s Roy Ramos saw investigators confiscate cash and a gun from Goodwin’s black Mercedes as they searched for evidence.

Goodwin was arrested and charged with racketeering, trafficking in oxycodone, and extortion.

WFTV