Western-Star.com

LEBANON — Warren County law enforcement officials have busted up a "large-scale," multi-state prescription drug ring and will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. today to announce the details of the indictments and arrests, according to a news release from the Warren County Sheriff's Office.

Warren County officials say arrests from the drug trafficking operation so far involves 10 people from southwest Ohio to Kentucky and Florida and a Dayton-area physician, the release said.

Dr. Richard Sievers, 53, of Oakwood, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he conspired with others to illegally distribute controlled substances by writing prescriptions with no legitimate medical purpose. Sievers was arrested Oct. 31 and has a detention hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4, according to a news release from the Warren County Drug Task Force.

Sievers operated Walnut Hills Family Care, located at 1900 Wayne Ave. in Dayton. The 19-count indictment alleges that between January 2007 and January 2008, Sievers conspired with others to distribute prescription drugs including Amphetamine, OxyContin (oxycodone), Vicodin ES (hydrocodone), Xanax (alprazolam), and Methadone (methadose).

Sievers faces up to 20 years in prison on a conspiracy charge and was also indicted on five counts of illegally distributing methadose and one count of illegally distributing oxycodone, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, officials said..

Sievers is the tenth person charged as a result of this drug investigation. Kenneth Joe Marshall, 50, of Dayton, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Charges against others are pending, police said.

The county's Drug Task Force and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio will be at the news conference to provide more details. This story will be updated following the news conference.