JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A four-month investigation into a a pain clinic on Jacksonville's Southside has led to criminal charges against the doctor who ran it and two of his employees.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Florida Health Dept began investigating the Sunshine Therapy, a clinic in the 6300 block of St. Augustine Road, after receiving a complaint in early August that Dr. William Baker was operating an unlicensed pain management clinic.
After a search of the facility in October, Baker, 63, and his office manager, William Hartsfield, 34, were arrested. Last week, Felissa Thomas, 35, who told investigators she was a nurse, was also arrested, charged with practicing medicine without a license.
According to the JSO report, clinic employee Christy Prall told investigators she Baker was out of town the week of Sept. 19, but overnight shipped blank, signed prescription pads for the office to dispense while he was gone. Prall told detectives she checked in patients and took cash payments before they went into a room with Thomas, who left with prescriptions.
The report also said that incriminating text messages between Baker and Thomas were found on a cell phone confiscated during the search of the clinic.
Text from Baker to Hartsfield dated Sept. 18: "Got one script pad signed for tomorrow U want another one for the 20th?"
Doctors say if the allegations are true, lives are endangered.
"You need to be able to evaluate a patient each time you hand a prescription -- a controlled substance -- to them," said anesthesiologist Perry Cole. "These are controlled, level-two drugs. The oxycodones, the morphines, the oxycodones."
Thomas was arrested last Thursday at Baker's medical office on San Jose Boulevard. She, along with Baker and Hartsfield, remain free on bond while the case is prosecuted.
Channel 4 learned the Florida Department of Health has put an emergency suspension on Baker's license until an investigation is complete.