Former Casper Doctor, Brother Appeal Federal Drug Convictions

Former Casper Dr. Shakeel Kahn and his brother Nabeel have filed notices to appeal their convictions and lengthy prison sentences for their roles in running a multi-state prescription drug conspiracy, according to federal court records.

Meanwhile, their father has filed a claim for some of the cash, properties and vehicles seized from Shakeel Kahn during the investigation. Federal prosecutors asserted that much of that property acquired by Shakeel Kahn was the result of his illegally prescribing millions of pills of opioids and other drugs.

Shakeel and Nabeel Kahn filed the notices of their appeals with the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after Wyoming U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson sentenced Shakeel Kahn to 25 years imprisonment and Nabeel Kahn to 15 years one month imprisonment.

Both men were convicted May 24 after a month-long jury trial in Casper that followed a three-year investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement agencies, the boards of medicine in Arizona and Wyoming, and hundreds of court filings including superseding indictments. Three other defendants including Shakeel Kahn's wife, Lyn, and Paul Beland and Shawnna Thacker pleaded guilty before the trial began in April and testified on behalf of the prosecution.

The jury found Shakeel Kahn guilty of 21 counts including conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and other drugs resulting in death, possession of a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime, operating a continuing criminal enterprise, other drug crimes, money laundering, and unlawful use of a communication facility

The filings with the appellate court are only notices. The petitions outlining their reasons for appealing will come later.

During the investigation law enforcement agencies seized three vehicles, one house in Casper and two in Fort Mohave County, Arizona; $1,048,000 in cash in one of the houses in Arizona; more than $100,000 from various bank accounts; weapons and other property. Of the cash, $580,000 was returned the Kahns.

Prosecutors filed a notice of forfeiture on July 12 for 30 days ending Aug. 10. People who believe they had a claim to any of that property had 30 days after Aug. 10 to file a claim for it, according to court records.

On Sept. 3,  Rahim Khan, father of the Kahn brothers, filed a claim for much of that property, saying Shakeel was lawfully keeping $675,000 of his own cash and a house purchased with some of that money. Rahim Kahn is a citizen of Canada and said he was planning to move to Arizona.

"Petitioner Rahim Khan is an innocent third party," according to his claim.

"It would be unjust for any of the defendants and/or the federal government to be enriched in the amount of $675,000 in combined currency and real property that belongs to Petitioner Rahim Khan, an innocent bystander who was barred from asserting his third-party rights until now."

Prosecutors have not responded yet to Rahim Khan's claim.