Jeremy Brilliant/Eyewitness News
Elwood - An Indiana doctor is under arrest and facing criminal charges for writing false prescriptions.
His name plate is still affixed to the sign at Elwood Family Practice, but Dr. Gregory Spangler isn't seeing patients. He was suspended by Community Health Network and now faces three felonies for over-writing prescriptions.
"He delivered my baby 24 years ago and I just don't see him doing something like that. I don't believe he would," said patient Paula Troxtle.
According to Elwood Police, Spangler gave a 41-year-old female patient prescriptions for 16 different narcotics, like valium, hydrocodone and methadone. He wrote them to several different names, including the woman's friends and relatives.
"He said he gave her scripts in these different people's names," said Elwood Police Capt. Carl Caldwell. "At the time, though, it was under the assumption that these were going to these other patients, is what his belief was."
Police say Spangler wrote the patient 84 prescriptions in just under a year and a half. Records indicate she had only been in the office to see him 4 times. Detectives say Spangler never received money for the prescriptions and only provided them to the unidentified female patient. Caldwell says there's "a possibility" that there was a sexual relationship between Spangler and the woman.
"His future options with the practice will be determined based on the outcome of the investigation," wrote Community Physicians, a part of Community Health Network, in a statement about Dr. Spangler.
In the meantime, patients at his Elwood practice will be seen by other doctors.
"I thought he was the best baby doctor there is. I've never had any complaints, never heard any complaints, I've referred people to him," Troxtle said.
As far as the State of Indiana is concerned, Dr. Spangler still has a license to practice medicine. It will only be revoked if the attorney general's office petitions the Medical Licensing Board. At this point, that hasn't happened and a spokesperson for the attorney general's office says state law prohibits her from confirming or denying an investigation is underway.
