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Kauai police arrested a former wakeboarding champion and two relatives in connection with three Florida pain management clinics described by law enforcement as "pill mills."
Kauai police arrested Darrin Shapiro, 38; his older brother, Jarrett Shapiro, 42; and their father, Lewis Ray Shapiro, 65, on charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and money laundering. They are awaiting extradition to Florida. Each is being held in lieu of a $750,000 bond.
Kauai police assisted law enforcement officials with Central Florida’s Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation with the arrests as part of the Regional Drug Enforcement Strike Force. Florida Gov. Rick Scott initiated the strike force in March 2011 to clamp down on prescription drug abuse. This is the strike force’s first big case since it was established, according to spokeswoman Susie Murphy of the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation.
Police arrested Darrin Shapiro of Princeville on Thursday on Kauai. Shapiro was a six-time pro wakeboard tour champion and four-time world champion, according to the American Water Ski Educational Foundation’s Hall of Fame website.
The following day, Lewis Ray Shapiro and Jarrett Shapiro, both of Kilauea, turned themselves in to police. The arrests are in connection with three pain management clinics in Florida: Pain Relief Orlando, Pro Pain Clinic and Casselberry Relief Center.
In June law enforcement initiated a search warrant for the clinics and seized medical records. Darrin Shapiro was not living in Florida at the time and had already moved to Kauai when the warrant was executed, according to Murphy. Police arrested two doctors last week in connection with the investigation.
Murphy said the Shapiros also operated Kauai Chronic Pain, a pain management clinic that is now shut down.