Pharmacist Charged with Illegally Dispensing Pain Drugs

A pharmacist from Barbourville conspired to illegally distribute pain drugs, a federal grand jury has charged.

The grand jury indicted Calvin L. Manis, who also is a city council member, on one charge of conspiring with John Pasternak and others to distribute oxycodone and oxymorphone between December 2015 and August 2019.

The indictment also included 14 charges against Manis of dispensing prescription drugs outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical reason. He also was charged with operating his Parkway Pharmacy for the purpose of illegally distributing drugs.

Federal authorities arrested Manis, 73, in June 2020.

The indictment returned this week included more charges and added Pasternak as a defendant in the alleged conspiracy.

Anthony Janutolo, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer, said in an affidavit supporting Manis’ arrest that Manis allegedly filled prescriptions in cooperation with a person who was paying the costs for other people to get prescriptions from doctors.

In that arrangement, the person paying the bills, called a sponsor, typically gets some or all of the pills and diverts them to illegal sales. It has been a common practice in Kentucky and elsewhere.

The sponsor, who was cooperating with police, said Manis had filled prescriptions for him when the person named on the order wasn’t present.

Prosecutors first asked for Manis to be jailed until his trial but didn’t object to his release after family members took all the guns and ammunition from his house.

Under his release conditions, Manis can’t work as a pharmacist or go to his drug store.

The charges against Manis carry top sentences of up to 20 years in prison.

If he’s convicted, the government also wants to take $34,587 found in the pharmacy’s account, the pharmacy, and Manis’ license.

Manis was a longtime city council member in Barbourville before a 2009 federal conviction for not keeping proper records of firearms sales.

He is back on the council now, according to the city’s website.