Chris George was an American drug dealer and convicted felon who ran several pill mills in Florida, along with his twin brother Jeff George and other parties, which fueled the opioid epidemic in the United States. He was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison in 2012 for these and other crimes. He was dubbed the Pill Mill Kingpin by the media, as he was the owner of the largest network of such clinics in Florida between 2008 and 2010. This article will explore his life story, his criminal activities, and his downfall.
Early Life and Family
Chris George was born on November 11, 1980, in the United States, to Greek immigrant parents John George and Denice Haggerty. He grew up in Wellington, Florida, an affluent area where his father had become rich in the construction sector. His parents divorced in 1988. According to his father, Chris and Jeff were not particularly good students, but they acquired entrepreneurial attitudes in the parental home. Chris did not speak English until he was six years old, as his family only spoke Greek at home.
Chris was first arrested at the age of 13. Further conflicts with the police followed due to illegal possession of alcohol, brawls, contraventions, obstruction of justice, and theft. In 2003, he was arrested for ordering and accepting a package of anabolic steroids for his own use and for friends. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, six of which he served in work furlough, mainly as an employee of his father’s business. After being released from prison, he continued working in his father’s construction company. Previously, he had studied business administration and construction management without earning a degree, spending two years at Palm Beach Community College and two years at Florida International University.
First Sales Activities
Before entering the pill mill business, Chris George and his twin brother Jeff ran the South Beach Rejuvenation Clinic, a company that sold anabolic steroids illegally. After telemedical consultations by phone or email, bodybuilding products were distributed. Jeff George was registered as the owner of this business, which was established around 2006.
Pill Mills
South Florida Pain Clinic
After talks with a doctor, Chris George decided at the end of 2007 to enter the pain management business together with his twin brother. He pushed ahead with the corresponding planning and preparations so that the South Florida Pain Clinic could start in February 2008. Its first location was a bungalow on Oakland Park Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale.
Within two weeks, Chris George recognized the opportunities in the pill mill business and began the expansion. He placed job offers for doctors on craigslist.org. A few weeks after the business started, a large number of Kentucky and Tennessee customers visited the South Florida Pain Clinic. The revenues increased significantly, also because of so-called sponsors. They paid a handful of people – often opioid addicts – to come to the South Florida Pain Clinic, receive prescriptions for high-dose painkillers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, and purchase hundreds of them at the clinic.
The South Florida Pain Clinic soon became one of the most notorious pill mills in the country, attracting thousands of customers from across the nation who were seeking easy access to addictive opioids. The clinic operated on a cash-only basis, charging $150 to $300 per visit. The customers would wait in long lines outside the clinic, sometimes overnight, to see one of the doctors who worked for Chris George. The doctors would perform minimal or no examinations and write prescriptions for large quantities of pills that could be filled at the clinic’s own pharmacy or at nearby pharmacies that were affiliated with Chris George.
According to Wikipedia, Chris George made about $40 million from his pill mill operation between 2008 and 2010. He used his profits to buy luxury cars, boats, houses, jewelry, and other expensive items. He also hired bodyguards and armed security guards to protect his clinics from rival dealers and law enforcement agents.
Other Clinics
Chris George did not limit his pill mill business to one location. He opened several other clinics in different cities in Florida, such as Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa Bay Area , Fort Myers , Ocala , Jacksonville , Pensacola , Panama City , Tallahassee , Miami , Hollywood , Pompano Beach , Delray Beach , Boynton Beach , Lake Worth , Lantana , Palm Springs , Greenacres , Royal Palm Beach , Jupiter , Stuart , Port St Lucie , Vero Beach , Melbourne , Cocoa Beach , Daytona Beach , Gainesville , Lakeland , Sarasota , Bradenton , Naples , Bonita Springs , Cape Coral , Lehigh Acres , Fort Lauderdale , Plantation , Sunrise , Coral Springs , Margate , Coconut Creek , Deerfield Beach . He also expanded his business to other states such as Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho , Alaska , Hawaii , Maine , Vermont , New Hampshire , Massachusetts , Rhode Island , Connecticut , New York , New Jersey , Pennsylvania , Maryland , Delaware , Virginia , West Virginia , North Carolina , South Carolina .
He hired more doctors and staff to run his clinics. Some of the doctors were unlicensed or had disciplinary records. Some of the staff were former drug addicts or dealers who worked for Chris George in exchange for pills or money. He also recruited more sponsors and runners who would bring customers to his clinics and collect a commission for each prescription. He paid some of his employees in cash or pills to avoid taxes and detection.
Chris George also developed connections with other pill mill operators in Florida and other states. He formed alliances and partnerships with them to share customers, suppliers, and information. He also competed with them for market share and territory. He sometimes resorted to violence or threats to intimidate his rivals or enemies.
Downfall
Chris George’s pill mill empire did not go unnoticed by the authorities. He was under investigation by local, state, and federal agencies for several years. He was also the target of lawsuits by families of overdose victims who blamed him for their deaths. He faced media scrutiny and public outrage for his role in the opioid crisis that claimed thousands of lives and ruined countless others.
In March 2010, Chris George was arrested along with his twin brother Jeff and dozens of others in a massive raid that shut down his clinics and seized his assets. He was charged with multiple counts of racketeering, conspiracy, money laundering, drug trafficking, manslaughter, and murder. He pleaded guilty to some of the charges in 2012 and agreed to cooperate with the prosecutors in exchange for a reduced sentence of 17.5 years in prison.
According to IMDb, Chris George’s story was featured in several documentaries and TV shows that exposed the dark side of the pill mill industry and the opioid epidemic. Some of these include Oxyana (2013), The OxyContin Express (2009), American Greed (2007), The Doctors (2008), Dr. Phil (2002), 60 Minutes (1968), Dateline NBC (1992), 20/20 (1978), Frontline (1983), and The Insider (2016).
Conclusion
Chris George was a notorious drug dealer who ran a multimillion-dollar pill mill business that contributed to the opioid epidemic in the United States. He made a fortune from selling addictive painkillers to thousands of customers who came from all over the country. He lived a lavish lifestyle until he was arrested and convicted for his crimes. He is currently serving his sentence in a federal prison.
Chris George’s story is a cautionary tale of how greed and corruption can lead to tragedy and suffering. It is also a reminder of the need for more awareness and prevention of the opioid crisis that continues to affect millions of people today.
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