An Anna Maria resident pleaded guilty June 13 to improperly distributing oxycodone out of a Bradenton “pill mill.”
John Allen Lanning, 79, a physician, could face up to 20 years in a federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set but will likely take place sometime in August, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Lanning is listed as “retired” on the Florida Department of Health website. His license expired in January.
He resides on Sycamore Lane in Anna Maria and operated a private practice in recent years. He was charged with illegally distributing oxycodone while working at the 1910 Medical Clinic at 1910 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
Lanning started work at the clinic in March 2010. During his time there, he allegedly saw between 20 and 30 patients per day, often prescribing them narcotics for non-existent ailments.
The illegal operation was derailed in April 2010 after an undercover detective posed as a pain management patient, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On April 26, 2010, according to the release, the detective had an MRI exam and then met with Lanning, who told the detective he had a “protruding disk that was almost herniated,” after examining the MRI.
Lanning prescribed the detective 90 oxycodone tablets. However, the detective had no history of back injury or back problems, the release stated.
Lanning was charged in connection with five other individuals: Warren Gold, Aigoul Iplaeva Gold, Rimma Anasovna Mamleeva, John Buster Quick and Rajan Kandavanam Raj. All were owners and doctors at the clinic.
The 1910 Medical Clinic moved five times to avoid legal issues, but closed after Gold’s arrest in December 2010.
Gold plead guilty in May and faces up to 40 years in federal prison and $4 million in fines.
The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.