Federal judge sentences Milwaukee ‘Oxy Czar’ to prison

Listen to this article

A federal judge has sentenced the former owner of a pain management clinic described as a “pill mill” to one year and one day in federal prison.

On Monday, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Richard G. Frohling announced that Susan Moyer, the owner and office manager of Compassionate Care Clinic in Milwaukee, will go to prison for her role in unlawfully distributing Oxycodone.

Court records said Moyer and Dr. Steven Kotsonis operated the clinic as a “pill mill,” issuing baseless prescriptions for high doses of Oxycodone and other opioids in exchange for cash. Moyer, who was recorded referring to herself as the “Oxy Czar” during the investigation, would write prescriptions, despite having no medical license. Kotsonis would then sign them without actually seeing a patient, according to court records. Officials said at least two of the clinic’s patients overdosed on Oxycodone and died.

Moyer and Kotsonis pleaded guilty to felony offenses in 2019. Both received federal prison sentences of a year and one day.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura S. Kwaterski prosecuted it. Follow @WLJReporter