What Happened
In January 2025, Shakeel Kahn, 57, was sentenced in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to 25 years in prison with five years of supervised release for drug distribution, firearms possession and money laundering. A federal jury convicted him on December 15, 2024, after a six-week trial. Evidence showed that between 2011 and 2016 he was a licensed doctor operating clinics in Casper, Wyoming, and Fort Mohave, Arizona, and wrote opioid prescriptions for cash without legitimate medical need. At least one person died after overdosing on drugs he distributed. The Supreme Court had overturned his original 2019 convictions because of a faulty jury instruction.
“Kahn unlawfully distributed drugs by writing prescriptions for large quantities of opioids without any legitimate medical need”
Related Guidance
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
- Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.