Former Michigan Doctor Pays $705,075

What Happened

Former Battle Creek, Michigan physician Shekhar Thakur agreed in August 2025 to pay $705,075 to resolve a federal Controlled Substances Act lawsuit filed in July 2024 over his practice at Parkside Medical. The government alleged he regularly prescribed opioids and other controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose, including despite failed urine drug screens and dangerous opioid-benzodiazepine combinations. He did not admit responsibility. He lost his medical licenses in 2022 and 2023, surrendered his DEA registration in 2020, and agreed never to seek reinstatement. The claims are allegations only.

“Shekhar Thakur has agreed to pay $705,075 to resolve a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office”
U.S. Department of Justice / U.S. Attorney's Office press release, Aug 28, 2025

Related Guidance

15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.

Sources

U.S. Department of Justice / U.S. Attorney's Office press release, Aug 28, 2025

Case at a Glance

Setting: Private medical practice (Parkside Medical)
Drug: Opioids and benzodiazepines
Method: Alleged prescribing without legitimate medical purpose
Status: Civil settlement of $705,075 announced August 2025; no admission of liability

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

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Where this record connects to the site's working material. Links are chosen from the case's setting, drug and method fields.

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Last reviewed: September 2026 · Educational content, not legal advice.

About the author

DivertGuard is built and maintained by Alex Rodriguez, MHIIM, CPhT (also known as Jesus Rodriguez) — a drug diversion prevention program manager with more than a decade in pharmacy practice, including direct responsibility for a health-system controlled substance diversion prevention program.

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2025 — The Rounding Revolution: A High-Tech Approach to Diversion Prevention (with Emily Spiceland, PharmD)
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Penalty Outcomes in the Case Records

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Registry Insights: Sentences, Fines, States and Outcomes

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Former Michigan Doctor Pays $705,075 Over Opioid Prescribing