Federal agents raided at least three Palm Beach County pain clinics Wednesday, including a month-old business that has brought an avalanche of complaints, in an ongoing war against prescription drug abuse.

A lineup of cars waiting for pain medication Wednesday morning was greeted by deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office at the American Pain Clinic, 1200 N. Dixie Highway. Law enforcement officials from the FBI and deputies from both Palm Beach and Broward counties cartedboxes out of the pain management clinic throughout the day as confused patients drove up and quickly left.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to discuss the nature of its investigation. But statements from their office and local police indicate the raid was part of a larger, ongoing investigation by a regional task force formed to combat illegal pill mills.

“This is an ongoing federal criminal investigation,” said Alicia Valle, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “So as not to compromise this investigation and any future prosecution efforts, no additional information is available at this time.”

South Florida has grown into a key distribution point in the illegal prescription pill trade. Florida’s prescription drug laws are looser than those in other states, making pills cheaper to buy. Some dubious clinics supply large quantities of popular synthetic opiates, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, which, in turn, are sold for large profits in states such as Kentucky, where the drugs are more heavily regulated.

James Eisenberg, attorney for owners of the American Pain Clinic, Christopher and Jeffrey George, 29-year-old twins, said their business is lawful and no arrests have been made.

“Jeff ran a legitimate pain clinic. He did nothing wrong,” Eisenberg said. “He was well aware pain clinics are under scrutiny and he made every effort to run an honest operation.”

Eisenberg said federal agents raided Christopher George’s home in Wellington and one other pain clinic the brothers operate: East Coast Pain Management west of West Palm Beach. He said agents also raided Executive Pain west of West Palm Beach, owned by a woman Eisenberg described as a friend and business associate of Christopher George.

Authorities who searched Christopher George’s home found what they called “homemade pyrotechnics,” according to a source close to the investigation.

Eisenberg did not know if any of the brothers’ Broward County clinics were searched Wednesday.

The Georges both have criminal histories, according to state records, though neither appears to have spent time in prison.

Christopher George is awaiting trial on 2009 extortion and threats charges in Duval County, court records show. Those records show he was sentenced to probation on several charges including disorderly conduct in 2001 to possession of a drug without a valid prescription in 2003.

Jeffrey George had a similar criminal history of misdemeanor charges, records show. He was sentenced to probation on charges ranging from dealing in stolen property to battery and resisting arrest with violence, according to state records over the past few years.

The Lake Worth clinic had been open only for a month and already had generated outrage from the community, Lake Worth Vice Mayor Jo-Ann Golden said.

“It immediately caused traffic jams on Dixie Highway,” she said.

Mike Wysong, manager of Chuck’s furniture shop across the street, said the clinic must have seen at least 1,000 clients a day. He said the business needed a man in a golf cart to direct traffic to parking.

“It was like going to a football game,” he said.

He said many of the license plates on the cars were from Kentucky and Tennessee.

In part because of complaints about the American Pain Clinic, the city on Monday enacted a 180-day ban on all new pain clinics. Broward and Palm Beach Counties and several cities have enacted similar moratoriums.

“Florida has become the drug store for other states,” Golden said. “So many people are dying from these drugs and they’re not being properly administered at a lot of places.”

Lake Worth Mayor Rene Varela said Wednesday’s raids are just the first step.

“We’re going to harass them until they’re no longer in our community,” he said.

Staff Researcher Barbara Hijek contributed to this report.

Brian Haas can be reached at or 561-243-6633.