JONES COUNTY, Ga. — A Jones County doctor pleaded guilty this week to writing illegal prescriptions, but one woman says she's not satisfied. She says she's waited years to hear Thomas Sachy take responsibility for her mother's death.
Brittney Allen thinks of her mother Michelle Allen every day.
"She was probably the most kindhearted person you could have ever met," said Allen.
She was a mother, a wife, and a stay-at-home homemaker, but several years ago, she became a patient of Doctor Thomas Sachy because of her chronic back pain.
Brittany Allen say she died suddenly, about a year later, at age 44.
"We were kind of blindsided by the whole thing. You know, we weren't thinking overdose at all. We thought it was an underlying illness that we didn't know about," said Allen.
Court records says she died from "oxycodone toxicity" and that the drug didn't serve any legitimate medical purpose.
Sachy's lawyers have argued that he was following normal medical practice and that he did nothing wrong.
Allen said, "But he didn't stand up in court and say he didn't deliberately do this."
On Monday, Sachy pled guilty to a one drug charge, illegally dispensing and distributing controlled substances, including oxycodone.
Prosecutors dropped several other drug charges against him, and a money-laundering count.
Sachy was not charged with causing Michelle Allen's death, but she was named in court documents and prosecutors planned to use her medical records and prescription history to show that he was writing unnecessary prescriptions.
"When you're a physician or a nurse, you take an oath to do no harm. As a nurse myself and a member of the community, you start wondering about your care and if you can trust your doctors," said Allen.
Brittney Allen also says she wishes the case had gone to trial so a jury could decide Sachy's fate.
"I would've wanted to see him held accountable for my mother's death. Of course, this is going to follow him for the rest of his life -- that's the most important thing. Hopefully, he's not able to practice medicine anymore when he gets out and doesn't have the opportunity to hurt another patient again," said Allen.
Sachy is scheduled to be sentenced on September 7th.
As part of a plea deal, the U.S. Attorney's Office says Sachy faces up to 97 months in prison.
He'll also forfeit more than $800,000 in cash and property, including his former office in Gray.