Bonifay doctor pays $130,000 fine and surrenders DEA registration as part of settlement

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A Bonifay doctor will pay $130,000 and turn over his Drug Enforcement Administration registration after a civil settlement agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.

Ahmad T. Ismail, 70, settled the potential violations of the Controlled Substances Act by agreeing to pay the fine.

“A physician’s failure to adhere to the safeguards of the Controlled Substances Act can facilitate the diversion of addictive drugs, illegal distribution of those substances, and risk of overdose,” U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody said. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to utilize both the civil and criminal provisions of the Controlled Substances Act to protect our communities and hold violators responsible.”

Ismail also surrendered his DEA registration and will not reapply for at least three years.

In December 2018, DEA investigators did a routine inspection of Ismail’s practice in Bonifay. They say during that inspection and in the subsequent investigation, they discovered numerous potential civil violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Some of those potential violations include failing to keep complete and accurate records of dosage units, failing to maintain complete and accurate dispensing records, and more.

Coody’s office say the civil agreement is not an admission of any liability by Ismail, nor a concession by the United States that its potential claims were not well-founded.

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